Evaluate Actions

 The key concepts below outline critical elements of effective evaluation to support maximum impact throughout the CHI process.
Evaluating both process and outcomes is essential to understanding the impact of your CHI efforts. For the most effective evaluation, use your findings to refine your efforts and thereby increase the chances of maximum impact and success.  

Key Concepts

• A shared, user-friendly measurement system that includes indicators and tools, such as dashboards, is established
• A system to continuously monitor and manage the process is implemented that generates the data needed, including short and intermediate outcomes of the program, and/or policy design and implementation (community change process and outcomes)
• Implementation is adjusted and adapted based on continuous evaluation results

Tools for Getting Started

Tools are listed below in an order roughly aligned with the order of the key concept(s) they support above.

• Evaluating Complexity: Propositions for Improving Practice
  • This tool brings together knowledge about systems change, complexity, and evaluation.
• Metrics: How to Select Them, How to Use Them
  • This site provides background on metrics as well as tips and steps for selecting and using them in population health improvement.
• A Practitioner's Guide to Advancing Health Equity—Meaningful Community Engagement for Health and Equity
  • Go to pages 30–33 for a collection of health-equity considerations for policy, systems, and environmental strategies. Included are questions for you to consider and examples of how to integrate health equity into local practice.
• Providing Feedback to Improve the Initiative
  • Go to the Main Section and Checklist tabs for guidance on how to effectively organize and share evaluation feedback with those participating in the initiative—partners and other stakeholders—on a regular basis.

Click here for additional tools related to the key concepts.

Relevant Excerpts from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Final Rule
The IRS Final Rule on Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) for Charitable Hospitals contains language related to select key concepts above. An excerpt of this language is provided below. To see the full regulation, click on the hyperlinked references below this paragraph.³¹