A monitoring and evaluation system in support of the together on diabetes™ effort to improve health outcomes for heavily affected populations in the US

The diabetes epidemic affects 26 million Americans. To improve health outcomes associated with diabetes requires development of innovative approaches, reaching vulnerable groups, and improving population-level outcomes. Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's Together on Diabetes project supports diabetes self-management, improved access to services and quality of care, community-based supportive services and community mobilization. Monitoring and evaluation of the program sets the occasion for co-learning, accountability, and continuous improvement with the initiative and the grantees. Specific purposes of the evaluation include to: a) understand what is being accomplished, b) improve performance, and c) assess the impacts of the initiative. This requires engaging grantees in development of a logic model and key evaluation questions, systematically documenting the program and the impact of prevention efforts, and utilizing data for program improvement and policy decision making. The initiative: 1. developed an evaluation plan and online documentation support system; 2) fully implemented participatory evaluation with grantees; and 4) conducted systematic reflection with foundation staff and summative evaluation for the overall initiative. The monitoring and evaluation system's critical features were a collaboratively built logic model and subsequent evaluation questions, easy and ready access to results; and procedures for using the results for celebration and improvement. Innovation, reach and impact in improving diabetes health outcomes that Together on Diabetes seeks drives the need for participatory evaluation methods, a monitoring and documentations system, mechanisms for rapid cycle quality feedback loops and enhanced sensemaking. This will lead to more effective interventions that reduce inequity and increase impact.