Community Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

Copyright Information

  • Copyright 2022 Assessment Technologies Institute, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
  • Copyright 2025 Assessment Technologies Institute, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Licensing Information

  • This ATI Engage material is the exclusive copyrighted property of Assessment Technologies Institute, L.L.C. (“ATI”).
  • Provided under license to ATI’s clients only for usage in nursing programs utilizing ATI Engage resources.
  • Permissions granted only for posting this material on institutional LMS during the duration of the license.
  • Must ensure Copyright notices and proprietary marks remain visible when posted.
  • Use restricted to institutional responsibilities; personal usage is not allowed.
  • Upon termination of the institutional license, all usage rights cease immediately.
  • Material must be removed from LMS, and further use is prohibited.
  • Sharing with third parties outside the institution is not allowed.
  • Posting on social media platforms is prohibited.

Community Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

Learning Objectives
  • Explain the importance of and barriers to collaborating with community partners.
  • Differentiate among community assessment models used for data collection (primary and secondary).
  • Analyze community-level data to prioritize the community's health needs.
  • Discuss strategic steps required for creating and implementing a community program.
  • Examine criteria for evaluating the impact of a community health program.

Community as Partner

  • Focuses on promoting community health.
  • Aims to foster community partnerships.
  • Promotes collaboration with available resources and projects. (Melo and Alves, 2019)

Collaboration

  • Essential teamwork is vital for the success of community programs.
Barriers to Collaboration
  • Differing priorities among stakeholders.
  • Geographic challenges preventing effective partnerships.
  • Lack of resources impacting program implementation. (Pratt et al., 2018)

Community Gatekeepers

  • Definition: Individuals or groups that have an influence on community programs.
    • Can include paid employees or volunteers.
    • Programs should encompass gatekeepers of various levels.
  • Example: A group of parents identifying a scarcity of safe play areas for children, collaborating to create a safe play space.

National Notifiable Diseases

  • Certain diseases that must be reported to health authorities.
  • All states are mandated by law to report these diseases.
  • Reporting is crucial for monitoring, controlling, and preventing diseases. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022)

Community Health Assessment

  • Identifies needs and priorities within the community.
Data Collection Methods
  • Primary data:
    • Windshield surveys
    • Interviews
    • Direct observation
  • Secondary data:
    • Census data
    • Statistics
    • Rankings
  • The assessment begins with identifying community strengths and can act as a starting point for transformative efforts.

Ecological Model

  • A conceptual framework recognizing that the same environment may have varied impacts on different individuals. (Rural Health Information, 2018)

CHANGE Model

  • Stands for Community Health Assessment and Group Evaluation.
  • Purpose:
    • Identify and strengthen community resources.
    • Guide the identification of weaknesses in health services.
    • Create strategies aimed at improving overall community health outcomes. (CDC, 2021b)

Built Environment Assessment Tool Manual

  • Provides guidelines for assessing the built environment which includes:
    • Homes
    • Schools
    • Workplaces
Core Features to Assess
  • Infrastructure: Roads, intersections, public transportation facilities.
  • Walkability: Availability of paths and sidewalks.
  • Bikeability: Presence of bike lanes.
  • Recreational sites: Playgrounds and green spaces available to the community.
  • Food access: Grocery stores and farmer’s markets. (Altomonte et al., 2020)

Steps to Create Community Programs

  1. Write a situation statement outlining the issue.
  2. Define specific goals for the program.
  3. Identify the target audience.
  4. Craft a clear and impactful message.
  5. Determine incentives for engaging community members and organizations.
  6. Identify effective outreach methods to communicate the program.
  7. Develop tools or measures to assess progress and success. (New York Association on Independent Living, 2021)

Evaluation of Community Programs

  • Performance Measurement:
    • Involves data collection to assess performance against predetermined goals.
  • Program Evaluation:
    • Looks at the program comprehensively.
    • Evaluates the effectiveness of outcomes achieved by the program. (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2011)

Impact Reports

  • Essential for the communication of program evaluation results.
  • Information dissemination occurs through various mediums, such as social media and radio platforms.

Community Program Examples

  • Million Hearts:
    • Goal: Prevent one million strokes and heart attacks within five years.
    • Employs evidence-based practices for prevention.
  • High 5 Initiative:
    • Focuses on addressing pollution issues in the Chesapeake Bay area.
  • Nurse-Family Partnership:
    • Aims at assisting first-time pregnant individuals by providing education, support, and resources.