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Estimating Essential elements
Once you identify approach activities and desired outcomes, you can estimate the essential elements of an approach. Estimating the essential elements will help you understand how a prevention approach is intended to work and the potential consequences of making changes that affect the "what, how, and who” you have identified. In some cases, the essential elements will have already been identified by the developer. If they are not already identified, or if they seem unclear, CDC developed worksheets to help you roughly estimate the essential elements of an approach.
- Worksheet 1. Estimating Essential Elements of Programs [107 KB, 1 Page, 508]
- Worksheet 2. Estimating Essential Elements of Community and Societal Level Approaches [76 KB, 1 Page, 508]
Click on the following steps as you complete the worksheets listed above:
Step 1: Review and Consider Common Essential Elements
Considerations When Estimating Essential Elements of Programs
Review and consider the common essential elements of programs presented in the tables below. The examples listed are not exhaustive, so you may find that additional examples come to mind while reading through the list.
Click on the WHAT, HOW, and WHO tabs to reveal the essential elements of the approach.
Essential Element
Building knowledge of topic areas
Why this is often essential
Activities in many programs are designed to communicate key messages to increase knowledge and understanding
Example
- Raising awareness that violence is a serious issue and has many negative impacts
Essential Element
Building skills
Why this is often essential
Activities in many programs are designed to teach skills that help prevent violence and promote positive behaviors
Example
- Teaching non-violent problem-solving skills
- Training on community engagement
Considerations When Estimating Essential Elements of Community and Societal Approaches
Review and consider the common essential elements of community and societal approaches presented in the tables below. The examples listed are not exhaustive, so you may find that additional examples come to mind while reading through the list.
Click on the WHAT, HOW, and WHO tabs to reveal the essential elements of the approach.
Essential Element
Key messages, design elements, and policy components
Why this is often essential
Effective social media campaigns, environmental design, interventions, and policies often include key messaging, design elements, and components
Example
- A key message of a social media campaign designed to increase gender equitable norms is “gender stereotypes limit everyone, especially women and girls”
- A policy component of a family-friendly work policy is paid parental leave
- A design element of an environmental design project includes maintaining green spaces
For additional examples outlining how to estimate essential elements, download the following resources:
- Example 1. Estimating Essential Elements of Prevention Strategies - Social Norms Change: Programs [131 KB, 6 Pages, 508]
- Example 2. Estimating Essential Elements of Prevention Strategies - Teaching Skills [115 KB, 3 Pages, 508]
- Example 3. Estimating Essential Elements of Prevention Strategies - Creating Protective Environments [106 KB, 3 Pages, 508]
Step 2: Review Materials that Describe How Prevention Activities Lead to Outcomes (such as a logic model)
Refer to the approach logic model or other documents that identify stated outcomes and how actions lead to outcomes. A logic model is a visual communication tool that represents the underlying theory about why the program will work or why it is a good solution to address the need or identified problem. If a logic model has not been developed, the process of building a logic model may also help identify essential elements. Learn more about building a logic model by visiting EvaluACTION.
Step 3: Seek Input
Seek input from others who have experience with the approach, including previous program participants, practitioners, technical assistance providers, and funders. Seeking input from community members with lived experience can help refine and improve violence prevention approaches, making them more relevant and accountable to the communities they serve.
Estimate The Essential Elements
Back in VetoVille, the LGBTQ+ organization and school system estimated the essential elements of the sexual violence prevention skill-building program they were preparing to implement. As a first step, program staff reviewed similar programs to determine common essential elements. They also worked collectively to build a logic model and other materials, sought input from subject matter experts and community members, and listed estimated essential elements.
- For the WHAT, they planned to build the skills of teachers and staff and build students' knowledge of sexual violence.
- For the HOW, they planned to use recommended teaching methods such as workshops with small-group activities, follow other programs' sequence and timing of activities, create an ideal teaching environment, and deliver essential content.
- For the WHO, they planned to nominate teachers who both value participants and program messages, as well as have the trust and respect of students.
Estimating Essential Elements Key Takeaways
- Use program documents and insight from those with lived experience and subject matter expertise to estimate the essential elements of prevention activities to understand how an approach is intended to work.
- Examples of common essential elements and key considerations for various approaches have been provided for reference.