We continually measure the impact of our programs and initiatives with the support of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement’s Evaluation Team.

 

What is the role of the Evaluation Team?

CCHI’s evaluation team works in partnership with its community coalitions to measure the influence and effectiveness of their work with the community as a whole, and with individual residents. The evaluation team collaborates with coalition staff to ensure the information collected is relevant, meaningful and useful as they work to create or improve programs, policies and/or systems designed to meet the specific needs of the community and improve health. Information is gathered by evaluation team members in several ways, from focus groups to surveys to individual interviews.

 

2020-2021 Charlestown Logic Model [PDF]

A logic model is an organized and visual way to present and share activities of the coalition along with the changes or results it hopes to achieve in individuals, groups, and the larger community. The logic model is not a static document and can change to reflect the needs of the community.

Evaluation focuses on three main areas of work:

Health of the Community

Includes monitoring local and state-level data, such as rate of diseases or the number of policies that have impacted health.

Partnerships in the Coalition

Includes tracking the different sectors being represented in the coalition and how networking and community engagement drives community change.

Specific Programmatic Evaluation

Develops evaluation activities for specific programming within the coalition to understand what is working well and areas for improvements.

Examples of evaluation activities include:

  • Developing and analyzing pre and post surveys to understand knowledge and attitude changes.
  • Conducting focus groups and interviews with participants to gather in-depth information on their experiences in the programs.
  • Collecting data on number of trainings and events held.
  • Creating data presentations and infographics to facilitate discussions on program strengths and areas for improvement.

What does this all look like for the Charlestown Community?

A number of reports are generated with results that are used to improve programs, sustain positive outcomes, and improve the community’s overall plan for addressing substance misuse and other critical issues facing our community. These reports are shared with community partners and the public (click here to access our recent reports), and they may be used for other purposes, such as obtaining additional funding and helping to build awareness of the Charlestown Coalition’s work.