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There are 6 modules in this course
This course provides an introduction to evaluating public health programs at scale. This course focuses on evaluating public health programs and policies in low- and middle-income countries, however, core skills of designing and carrying out an evaluation are applicable to any public health programs and policies. The course will equip you with skills to:
1. Critique an evaluation of an international health program, identifying its strengths and possible weaknesses and how they could be addressed.
2. Develop a technically-sound evaluation plan for a reproductive, maternal, newborn, child health (RMNCAH) and nutrition program being implemented at scale in a low- or middle-income country, including evaluation design, key indicators, measurement methods, analysis, and communication of results.
3. Guide program managers and donors through a process of agreeing on priority evaluation activities included in an evaluation plan for a specific RMNCAH and nutrition program.
4. Make informed decisions about whether they want to pursue further learning and/or a professional role as an evaluator of large-scale programs.
The development of this course was supported by a grant from Government Affairs Canada (GAC) for the Real Accountability, Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) project.
Program evaluations are important in global health for many reasons. Some of the most important reasons are to: 1) service as a "reality check" on subjective expectations; 2) to guide continued improvement of the program; and 3) to justify continued funding. In this course, you will learn how to design and carry out high-quality program evaluations that answer the priority questions of program managers. Although much of the content is relevant to all program evaluations, we will focus on the evaluation of programs being delivered at scale by governments and their partners in low and middle income countries. This module will introduce you to program evaluation and our focus on effectiveness evaluations of large-scale reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (RMNCH&N) programs.
What's included
3 videos4 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 24 minutes
Welcome to Evaluating Public Health Programs at Scale•6 minutes
5 priority questions for effectiveness evaluations•3 minutes
Distinguishing among different types of evaluations•14 minutes
4 readings•Total 50 minutes
Course objectives and syllabus•5 minutes
Real Accountability: Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) project•5 minutes
Biographies of course instructors and presenters•10 minutes
Evaluation designs for adequacy, plausibility and probability of public health programme performance and impact•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Module 1 Quiz•45 minutes
Module 2: Designing the Evaluation - Part 1
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module will walk you through the steps to designing an evaluation including identifying relevant stakeholders, developing an impact model, and selecting appropriate data sources and indicators.
What's included
10 videos5 readings7 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 75 minutes
Welcome to Module 2•1 minute
Identifying stakeholders in an effectiveness evaluation of a large-scale program•11 minutes
Stakeholders in an evaluation of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) in Burkina Faso •10 minutes
Resolving different views among stakeholders•4 minutes
How to develop and maintain a program impact model•11 minutes
Introduction to the RADAR Evaluation Planning Tool•0 minutes
Indicators: What are they and how do you select them? •11 minutes
Where will the data come from?•10 minutes
Review of Module 2•3 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
How to develop a comprehensive program description •10 minutes
Common mistakes in developing an impact model•10 minutes
An introduction to “SMART” indicators•10 minutes
Assessing the quality of existing data for your evaluation•10 minutes
Demonstration•10 minutes
7 assignments
Critique impact models•0 minutes
Stakeholders and program descriptions•0 minutes
Use the RADAR Evaluation Planning Tool to develop an impact model•0 minutes
Identify indicators for components of an impact model•0 minutes
Explore DHS and MICS data•0 minutes
Making judgements about indicators and data sources •0 minutes
Module 2 Quiz•0 minutes
Module 3: Designing the evaluation - Part 2
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module will help you choose appropriate evaluation designs after defining priority evaluation questions.
What's included
8 videos4 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 60 minutes
Welcome to Module 3•1 minute
Defining priority questions and the time perspective for effectiveness evaluations•9 minutes
Time perspectives in the Burkina integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) evaluation •4 minutes
Attribution, contribution and counterfactuals in effectiveness evaluations•7 minutes
Evaluation designs based on level of inference•17 minutes
Probability evaluations•8 minutes
Design challenges in effectiveness evaluations•10 minutes
Review of Module 3•4 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Evaluating UNICEF's Accelerating Child Survival and Development (ACSD) program•10 minutes
What if there is not enough money or time to carry out the “best practice” evaluation you have designed?•10 minutes
How Do You Know If Aid Really Works? Turns Out ... We Often Don't•10 minutes
Confounders vs. Effect Modifiers•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Time perspectives in effectiveness evaluations of large-scale programs•30 minutes
Defining comparison groups •30 minutes
Lesson 4 review quiz•0 minutes
Module 3 Quiz•0 minutes
Module 4: Methods and tools to answer priority evaluation questions
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
This module will guide you through how to critically appraise a program's targets for coverage and impact using the Lives Saved Tool, assess program implementation strength and quality of care, measure coverage, and estimate program impact.
What's included
16 videos2 readings5 assignments
Show info about module content
16 videos•Total 172 minutes
Welcome to Module 4•3 minutes
How many lives will a program save?•11 minutes
Introducing the Lives Saved Tool (LiST)•4 minutes
How LiST works•12 minutes
Assessing the strength of program implementation•18 minutes
Introducing the RADAR implementation strength assessment tools•16 minutes
Assessing utilization•12 minutes
The health systems context for program evaluation•6 minutes
Assessing the quality of service provision•16 minutes
Introducing the RADAR quality of care assessment tools •4 minutes
Assessing the quality of family planning services in Malawi•6 minutes
What is coverage and how do you measure it?•19 minutes
Improving coverage measurement•12 minutes
Introducing the RADAR coverage survey tool•8 minutes
Estimating program impact•20 minutes
Review of Module 4•5 minutes
2 readings•Total 25 minutes
LiST as a catalyst in program planning: experiences from Burkina Faso, Ghana and Malawi•15 minutes
Understanding measures of nutritional impact•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 30 minutes
Lesson 3 Review Quiz•0 minutes
Lesson 4 Review Quiz•0 minutes
Lesson 5 Review Quiz•0 minutes
Lesson 6 Review Quiz•0 minutes
Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
Module 5: Implementing an effectiveness evaluation of a large-scale program
Module 5•6 hours to complete
Module details
This module will outline steps to developing measurement and analysis plans, integrating equity in your evaluations, and how to promote the uptake and use of evaluation results.
What's included
10 videos1 reading2 assignments2 peer reviews
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 101 minutes
Welcome to Module 5•2 minutes
Developing a measurement plan for the evaluation •15 minutes
The ethical review process •6 minutes
How will you analyze the evaluation data?•13 minutes
Case studies of analysis plans from Rwanda•12 minutes
Addressing equity issues in your evaluation•17 minutes
Understanding equity results•7 minutes
Measuring and incorporating gender in evaluations•14 minutes
Will your evaluation contribute to improved public health?•10 minutes
Review of Module 5•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 70 minutes
Encouraging the use of evaluation findings •70 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Lesson 4 Review Quiz•30 minutes
Module 5 Quiz•30 minutes
2 peer reviews•Total 120 minutes
Develop a measurement plan for an evaluation•60 minutes
Develop a analysis plan for an evaluation•60 minutes
Module 6: Course review and exploring your potential as an external evaluator of large-scale programs
Module 6•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module will review all course concepts using a real-world example - the evaluation of integrated community case management of childhood illness (iCCM) in Ethiopia. The course concludes with a reading on helpful skills for evaluators and resources for further learning about evaluation.
What's included
2 videos4 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 54 minutes
Part 1•29 minutes
Part 2•25 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
WHO/UNICEF Joint Statement on integrated community case management of childhood illness•10 minutes
Effects of the integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illness Strategy on Child Mortality in Ethiopia: A Cluster Randomized Trial•10 minutes
What have you learned about being a professional evaluator of large-scale programs?•10 minutes
Avenues for further learning about evaluation•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Final Assessment•30 minutes
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Reviewed on Oct 26, 2024
Through this course, I have gained invaluable skills that will, among other things, help me conduct academic research and continue to advance public health as a dietitian.
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