Improving Effectiveness

Effectiveness is the impact of an intervention on important outcomes. This includes potential negative effects, quality of life, and costs.
  1. Use Evidence Based Programs
    • When available use resources that are evidence based. Understand the core elements of evidence based programs such as-setting goals, identifying barriers, monitoring and documenting behavioral change-and use them as guiding tools while implementing programs or developing something new (i.e., when there is no specific evidence-based resource for your issue).
    • When evidence-based resources are available, assess the resource for how well it fits in your setting and what may need to be adapted while still retaining the essential components.
  2. Include organizational partners
    • When possible collaborate with organizations that have similar target populations and objects to help with intervention planning, development and implementation.
    • Seek out other institutions that have implemented a similar program successfully or unsuccessfully in the past to get an insight into what worked and didn’t work for them.
  3. Assess the resources available to you.
    • Prior to implementation, ensure you have sufficient resources to deliver the program.
    • Integrate the program roles and responsibilities within existing staff job descriptions by engaging those who will ultimately deliver the program early in the planning process.
    • Identify the skill sets of your staff and use them optimally. Provide required training, cross training, ongoing supervision, support and mentoring in areas of need.
  4. Develop and maintain effective documentation on program processes and tracking systems that ensure consistent delivery of the program.
  5. Solicit ongoing feedback from your target population.
    • This can be done using paper surveys mailed out with small incentives for filling them in and mailing them back.
    • Use the feedback to modify program components to accommodate the needs of your target population while adhering to the underlying evidence based principles of the program.
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