The document outlines the components of an effective health program, including objectives, target population, goals, activities, and evaluation. It discusses the African American Health Program as an example, which aims to eliminate health disparities among African Americans through education, prevention, and capacity building initiatives. Key elements that make a program effective include using a theoretical model, clearly defining the problem and population, establishing measurable goals and objectives, implementing appropriate activities, and conducting ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

1. Understanding the roadmap
for
Effective Health Programs
When Health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes
useless, and intelligence cannot be applied” Herophilus of Chalcedon 335-280 BC
Presented by: Dr. Bimbola Idowu

2. • Objectives
• About African American Health Program
• Define effective health program
• Components of an effective health
program
Outline

3. At the end of this presentation health
promoters will be able to:
• Explain an effective health program
• Identify core components of an effective
health program
• List building models for your program
• Describe steps in at least one of the
models
Objectives

4. The African American Health Program
(AAHP) was created in 1999 and is
funded by the Montgomery County
Department of Health and Human
Services and administered by BETAH
Associates, Inc.
AAHP History

5. Our Mission
• To eliminate health disparities and
improve the number and quality of
years of life for African Americans and
people of African descent in
Montgomery County, MD
• AAHP serves Montgomery County
residents of all socio-economic
statuses

6. Our Goals
1. To raise awareness in the Montgomery
County community about key health
disparities.
2. To integrate African American health
concerns into existing services and
programs.
3. To monitor health status data for African
Americans in Montgomery County.
4. To implement and evaluate strategies to
achieve specific health objectives.

7. AAHP Strategy: Toward Health Equity
To bring together community partners and
resources in a collaborative and efficient
manner to support the goals of the
African American Health Program.

8. AAHP Health Disparity Areas
► Infant Mortality
► HIV/AIDS
► Cardiovascular
► Cancer
► Diabetes
► Oral Health

9. What is an effective Program?
 Effective Program can simply be described as
a planned program based on evidence
(research) with clear and systemic strategies
for implementation

10. Importance of having an effective
Program
 Use of programs especially for outreach have
emerged as a major strategy to:
facilitate education
prevention
information dissemination
capacity building in addressing health
related issues

11. Program Model
“A chart or visual diagram that provides representation of
how program activities/services are linked to desired
changes in the target population” Card & Akers, 2009

12. Components of an effective
Program (1 of 2)
Program model
 Problem statement; formal theories of behavior
change – what is the problem; need or gap
 Target population – who will benefit from this
intervention
 Goals and objectives – what does the
intervention aim to achieve among the target
population

13. Components of an effective
Program (2 of 2)
Program model
 Program activities; resources – what will
the intervention do; cultural sensitivity
 Linkages to desired results – how the
intervention will have its intended results
 Monitoring and Evaluation

14. Problem (1 of 2)
 What is the Problem?
Need
e.g.- heart attacks as cause of death among young
African immigrants
Gap –addresses missing link between need &
services
e.g. no culturally designed brochures for African
immigrants

15. Problem (1 of 2)
 Write the problem statement?
Content
vision, affected target, evidence of scope of
problem
Probable cause of the problem, gap
Ideas on how to address it
Indicators that show that the problem has been
addressed

16. Target
 Who will benefit from this intervention?
Age, gender, race/ethnicity, culture
 How do you identify the group of interest?
General observation
 comments from members of the community;
news
Data – to justify your observation
Sources: local health department; community
health departments in case of studies by
academic staff
Community needs assessment

17. Goals & Objective (1 of 2)
 Goal
Very important piece
Guides program planning and design
Communicates to stakeholders
Enables evaluation
Success is dependent upon realistic goals

18. Goals & Objective (1 of 2)
 Goal
Characteristics
Describe the overall purpose of the program
Describe broad outcomes and concepts
(what we want to accomplish)
Expressed in general terms

19. Goals & Objective (1 of 2)
 Objectives
Specifically state how the goals will be achieved
Are measurable: Define what you want to see
Encourage a consistent focus on program functions
Objectives are not Tasks

20. Objectives (1 of 2)
 Characteristics
 SMART
 Specific: Be precise about what you are going to
achieve
 Measurable: Quantify the objectives
 Appropriate: Align with the needs of the target
audience
 Realistic: Do you have the resources to make the
objective happen?
 Time-Specific: State when you will achieve the
objective

21. Goals & Objectives (1 of 2)
Goal
Objective 1
Objective 3
Objective 2

22. Tool
Objective
Verb Metric Population Object
Baseline
Measure
Goal
Measure
Timeframe
Breakdown
register
Percent
age
Young
African
immigrants
in zip code
Healthy
heart class
0% 2%
December
2011
By December 2011, at least 2% of young African immigrants in
zip code 20904 will register for healthy heart class
apply Percentage
Healthy
heart
class
members
Young
African
immigrants
that apply
for class
-- 3% Annually
On an annual basis, at least 3% of members that apply to the
healthy heart class will be young African Immigrants

23. Program Activities (1 of )
2 planning models
 Theory Logic model
 Outcome approach model
 Monitoring and Evaluation

24. Theory Logic Model (1 of 3)
What is a theory?
Lay man’s view
Guess, a hunch
Scientist’s view
A fact based framework for describing a
phenomenon
Provides a roadmap for understanding human
behavior, emotions, attitudes
Describes a behavior and makes predictions about
the future
 Source: http://psychology.about.com/od/tindex/f/theory.htm

25. Theory Logic Model (2 of 3)
Examples:
The Health Belief Model
Information- Motivation Behavior Model
AIDS Risk Reduction Model
Theory of Reasoned action
Social Learning/ Cognitive Theory

26. Theory Logic Model (3 of 3)
Assumptions Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

27. Outcome Logic Model
Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

28. Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring
Built into the Input phase
Gathers descriptive data on operation of program
Answers of interest are:
 What services are delivered?
 What resources are used in the delivery?
 Who is served – characteristics?
 Do participants & staff like the program?
Describing “what is” without any attached
judgment

29. Evaluation (1 of 3)
Process
 Who, what, where, when, how questions?
 More comparative than monitoring
 Assesses “what is” vs. “what was
intended/planned”
 It helps discover what staff is doing? Which
participants are attending?
 Tools: Data collection
 Sign-in sheet
 Designed form for staff and participant satisfaction
questionnaire
 Various points

30. Evaluation (2 of 3)
Outcome
Focus is on program effectiveness
Short term, intermediate & long term
outcomes
Questions
Did the program make a difference in
participants?
Under what circumstances was the program most
effective?
What aspects of the program were responsible
for the changes?

31. Evaluation (3 of 3)
Outcome
Long term and impact outcomes very
tedious, takes time, money
Comparison is not only with the
participants but also with a comparative
group
Large sample size for identified differences
to be significant
Data collection at beginning, specified
intervals and at the end

32. Challenges & Barriers
Peculiar to every phase of the Program Model
Internal
Is it well articulated for others to understand & buy-
in?
Is it worth my agency investment?
Change in agency leadership
How many stakeholders would be brought on board
 External
Government policy change in direction
Environmental – natural disasters, community
priorities

33. References
 Card, J.J. & Akers, D.D. (2009). How to plan, implement and
evaluate your HIV Prevention Program. Sociometrics Press
 Fisher, D., Chinman, M. et al. (2006) Getting to outcomes with
developmental assets: ten steps to measuring success in
Youth programs and communities
www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports
 Fowler, C.J.C (2008). Achieving outcomes through best
process program design and evaluation. MAPHTC training
handout
 Nagle, B. (2009). SMART: Developing effective goals and
objectives.
national.spacegrant.org/.../presentations/.../SpaceGrantPresenta
tionMarch09.ppt
 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook/ Logic Model
Development Guide CD
 What is a theory?
http://psychology.about.com/od/tindex/f/theory.htm