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The Evaluation/Dissemination Program (E/D) provided a comprehensive evaluation of the processes, outcomes and effects of the Initiative and designed and implemented an appropriate dissemination plan. E/D established objectives and outcome measures for each component of the Initiative, including the wellness villages. In addition, E/D participated in the management of the Initiative by providing continuous improvement feedback through regular participation in Initiative management meetings. An important feature of the E/D component was the development of a participatory action research design.

Goal:

Provide feedback for program improvement of grantees during the life of the Initiative, as well as a comprehensive assessment of their accomplishments, and disseminate those findings to appropriate audiences at the Initiative’s conclusion.

Objectives:

• Collect, analyze and summarize data from the wellness villages regarding environmental transformations to improve community health.
• Submit annual reports and a final report to TCWF by January 2002 regarding achievements and lessons learned from the Initiative.
• Disseminate to diverse audiences by June 2003 findings regarding achievements and lessons learned from the Initiative.

Accomplishments:

• Established resident-involved, resident-driven participatory evaluation as a norm in community-based efforts to improve environmental conditions. The Evaluation/Dissemination grantee designed and implemented a culturally appropriate, community-based approach to evaluating the planning and implementation phase of CYCHI. Evaluation strategies included training community residents to develop and administer surveys, gather and analyze data, and to utilize statistical analysis software and other data collection techniques.
• Equipped young people with research and evaluation skills. The Evaluation/Dissemination grantee maintained consistent contact with wellness villages. They worked with each wellness village to track activities. They also provided feedback workshops that enabled residents and youth to reflect on the achievement of their objectives. In the first year of the planning phase, youth were given the opportunity to participate in an Evaluation Youth Summit. All of these activities motivated youth to utilize evaluation in the improvement of their community’s health.
• Encouraged the understanding and application of the World Health Organization’s definition of community health. The evaluator assisted the Foundation, the wellness villages and the field in better understanding how to implement empowerment research to advance community health.
• Developed site-specific survey instruments. Survey instruments were developed to collect data and address issues at each wellness village. Analysis of each village’s data assisted the village in evaluating changes in their infrastructure and rates of participation. Additionally, the Evaluation/Dissemination grantee worked closely with the Technical Assistance provider to support incorporation of “continuous improvement” feedback into technical assistance.

Challenges:

• The Evaluation/Dissemination grantee’s infrastructure challenged the organization’s capacity to work at a consistently high level over a long period of time. Senior researchers with faculty appointments and other consultant relationships did not have the time to provide the oversight for an evaluation component of this scope. The CEO’s time on the project was spread across management, coordination, evaluation, writing and other tasks that were difficult to accomplish in anticipated timeframes. These issues were discussed over a series of meetings, and improvements were made throughout the duration of the Initiative.
• During the initial stages of the Initiative, the Evaluation/Dissemination grantee compromised its objectivity. Participatory evaluation calls for the development of close working relationships between the evaluators and the wellness villages. The evaluators were in constant contact with the wellness villages, collecting data and offering feedback and evaluation training. However, as the working relationships developed over time, the evaluators often became too close to the wellness villages and, for a brief period, lost sight of the objectives and goal of the Evaluation/Dissemination Program. As a result, many of the wellness villages became too reliant on their senior researcher and undermined their own development and potential. These issues were also discussed over a series of meetings, and improvements were made throughout the duration of the Initiative.

Lessons Learned:

• Participatory Action Research is a relatively new approach that was successfully implemented into the Initiative. Participatory action research allowed adults and youth to assess the condition of their community through data collection and analysis. Wellness villages gained a better understanding of research and evaluation. Both adults and youth are now equipped to evaluate the progress of their wellness village.
• Wellness villages valued the use of qualitative methods. By using qualitative methods, the Evaluation/Dissemination grantee built strong relationships with the wellness villages.