Purpose: to describe the IHS Area staff response to the external evaluation of the Phoenix Area Injury Prevention Program using the Program Stage of Development Assessment Process. Methods: IP Staff from three Phoenix Area Districts and program staff from the Service Units in the Area collected, summarized and provided information to the external evaluators relevant to the 12 Evaluation Components (e.g., mission/vision, management support, marketing). Focus groups were convened in each of the three Phoenix Area Districts.. They were facilitated by the external evaluators and included staff involved with the Injury Prevention. Questions designed to gain an understanding of the stage of development of each of the 12 Evaluation Components were discussed during the focus group sessions. Results: The process of gathering and summarizing information for the evaluation, conducting self-assessments of programs, participating in focus groups, and participating in site visits gave Phoenix Area staff a better understanding of their program's strengths, weaknesses, and ideas for program development. The Evaluation Report provided specific recommendations for enhancing injury prevention activities conducted within the Phoenix Area. Conclusions: Having external evaluator's review and summarize an Area's IPP facilitates identifying program strengths and weaknesses that are difficult to self-asses objectively. An external evaluation also provides an opportunity to validate the positive contributions of IPP program staff to upper management and objectively make the case for supporting program initiatives from an outsider's perspective. External evaluation helps establish priorities for program growth and benchmarks against which to measure long term program growth and development.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the IHS Phoenix Area response to the external evaluation of the Area's Injury Prevention Program. 2. Identify the process used to gather information and assess the Phoenix Area Injury Prevention Program's Stage of Development. 3. Describe the benefits provided to IHS Phoenix Area Injury Prevention Program staff as a result of the external evaluation process
Keywords: Injury Prevention, Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.