SELECT, ADAPT, EVALUATE

Tracking and evaluating adaptations involves documenting adaptations, assessing whether they support essential elements, and learning how they impact approach outcomes. Tracking and evaluating adaptations is important because findings can help improve approach delivery or explain approach outcomes. Adaptations can be tracked and evaluated both formally and informally.

Tracking Adaptations

Adaptations can be tracked at any time during delivery to provide a snapshot of the adaptations occurring and their immediate impact (such as participant responses to adaptations). Informal tracking methods can include meetings with approach leaders, partners, community members, and recipients to learn more about the reasons for and impacts of adaptations. Simple tracking tools can help practitioners highlight and reflect on adaptation challenges, successes, and areas for improvement.

Evaluating Adaptations

Formal evaluation typically happens throughout approach implementation and includes systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of adaptation data. Formal evaluation methods can include conducting focus groups, interviews, observation, and surveys with approach leaders, partners, and recipients to learn more about the reasons for and impacts of adaptations. Formal evaluation can provide an in-depth assessment of implementation quality and the impact of adaptations on outcomes. Data about adaptations and adherence to essential elements can also be used to address longer-term delivery challenges and opportunities for improvement. Example tools for evaluating adaptations can be found in the Using Essential Elements to Select, Adapt and Evaluate Guide. For more information on evaluation, visit EvaluACTION.

VetoVille: Step 5 | Track and Evaluate Adaptations

Track and Evaluate Adaptations

Back in VetoVille, the school system and the LGBTQ+ organization stayed accountable to students and parents by tracking and evaluating the program adaptations. The school system and LGBTQ+ organization worked with program administrators to implement both a pre-and post-survey for students participating in the program, as well as an evaluation checklist for the teacher facilitators. The surveys were implemented before and after the program to determine what skills students learned and how much the content and activities engaged them. The evaluation checklist tracked the topics and activities completed during sessions with students to ensure teachers covered all important content. These data were used to improve content and make further adaptations, as well as inform parents and school administrators about student progress.

Congratulations!

You now have the information to begin identifying and assessing essential elements to help you select, adapt, and evaluate approaches, based on the best available evidence to prevent violence. Following the steps presented here will help you assess your efforts, adapt program approaches when needed, and prevent violence in your community before it starts.