RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS AND PROGRAM EVALUATORS

Purpose of Evaluation

The single greatest obstacle to effective prevention of suicide is the lack of evaluation research. Evaluation of prevention programs ensures the best use of limited resources. Questions from legislators, professionals, funders, scientists, and survivors about the use of resources can be addressed with the critical information produced by evaluation. For example, what contribution did the application of these resources make to suicide prevention? How does the contribution of one program measure up to the contribution made by other programs? By answering these questions, communities and States are better informed to make evidence based choices when selecting and implementing programs.

The following pages should serve as a guide to program evaluation for persons working in the area of suicide prevention. The emphasis is on practical, ongoing evaluation strategies that involve all program stakeholders, not just evaluation experts.

Evaluation is an important part of the SPAN plan (see Figure 1). As professionals evaluate programs, they begin sharing what works best. Through evaluation and sharing, programs are modified and adapted for use in various settings.

Evaluation is easier than most people believe. A welldesigned and well-run suicide prevention program produces most of the information needed to determine its effects. The key to success for effective evaluation is preparation. The ease of evaluating a program depends on the effort put into program design and operation. Tension often develops between spending resources on service delivery and on evaluating the program. However, programs that can demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency are more likely to obtain legislative, community, technical, and financial support.Program evaluation is a way to help suicide prevention efforts be more effective. Evaluation is the process of determining how well programs work. Evaluation can identify benefits and problems of a program. Evaluation information can improve the delivery of effective programs. Without evaluation of programs, we do not know if the program benefits or harms the people we are trying to help.

Evaluation tells stakeholders if the program is achieving its goals and if the program needs to be modified. Additionally, evaluation can improve the morale of program personnel, as program staff see that their efforts are not wasted and develop and implement strategies for addressing needs identified by the evaluation.

Evaluations frequently produce unexpected, but useful, information, either about something that works or about something that needs improvement. Evaluation helps to communicate aspects of your program to other agencies or groups, especially if it is published in a scientific journal or a more informal medium. As described in Box 2, there are many benefits of program evaluation.

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