Collecting health data with youth at faith-based institutions: lessons learned

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are ideal for health promotion but can present unique challenges in data collection. The present initiative included 6 years of awards to mostly small, rural, predominantly African American FBOs to conduct tobacco prevention lessons for youth in Grades 4-6 while they were attending summer Vacation Bible School. In 2005, these awards included $1,500 disbursed to 64 geographically diverse FBOs who had never before received this funding. Lessons learned include the following: Plan for evaluation in every aspect of the project; pilot-test everything; use reminders judiciously; make backup plans at every step; personally collect data in a nonthreatening way; and safeguard data entry. Evaluation requires extensive time, money, and effort; so, in both the intermediate and the long run, this extra work is worth it.

Three years of evaluating community tobacco prevention coalitions: lessons learned

Though challenging, evaluation is essential for successful coalitions. In three years of annual evaluations of 30 tobacco prevention coalitions, lessons learned involve contracts, people (leaders, board members, oversight staff), and entire coalitions. Contracts should adjust within limits, include all work requirements, promote networking, and link directly to evaluation. Leaders need quarterly meetings and no numbers assigned to their performance. Board members, even youth, must be involved. Program monitors need practical or public health experience to provide encouragement with firmness. Fiscal monitors need financial acuity, fair-mindedness, communication skills, and a firm contract foundation. Program evaluators need people skills, program evaluation experience, and a coalition history. Coalitions improve nonlinearly, with awareness activities diminishing and programmatic activities increasing, so evaluation should evolve also. Oversight agencies are influential, so should restrain from introducing many new requirements and avoid blindsiding leaders. Best evaluations are cooperative, collegial dialogs between evaluator(s) and the entire coalition.