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Resource Kit
Evaluate a PHIN CoP
Develop SMART Objectives
Once you have created the goals of your CoP, it is time to think about objectives and activities needed to accomplish these goals. First, ask yourself the following questions:
- WHAT are we going to do?
- WHY is it important for us to accomplish this activity?
- WHO is going to be responsible for the activities?
- WHEN do we want this to be completed?
- HOW are we going to do these activities?
Once you have answered the questions listed above, define your SMART objectives to move those ideas into action. SMART objectives are:
- Specific: Concrete, detailed, and well defined so that you know where you are going and what to expect when you arrive
- Measureable: Numbers and quantities provide means of measurement and comparison
- Achievable: feasible and easy to put into action
- Realistic: Considers constraints such as resources, personnel, cost, and time frame
- Time-Bound: A time frame helps to set boundaries around the objective
The following table lists questions for each SMART objective that will help your CoP translate objectives into SMART ones.
| Specific | Measurable | Achievable | Realistic | Time-Bound |
|
What exactly are we going to do in this CoP? What strategies will we use? Is the objective clear? Is the objective described with strong action verbs such as conduct, develop, build, plan, or execute? Who will be involved? What needs to make it happen? Is the outcome specified? Will this objective lead to the desired results? |
How will we know that change has occurred? Are we able to gather these measurements? |
Can it be done in the proposed timeframe? Are the limitations and constraints understood? Can we do this objective with the resources available to the CoP? |
Do we have the resources available to achieve this objective? Is it possible to achieve this objective? |
When will this objective be accomplished? What is the stated deadline? |
The “SMART Objectives Template” can guide you through the steps needed to define goals and SMART objectives.
Core Evaluation
As a component of the evaluation of PHIN CoPs, a core set of evaluation questions will be gathered across all
communities. These core questions cannot be changed unless the change is applied to the evaluation of all CoPs.
The core questions will allow CDC to assess how each CoP is evolving, compare characteristics across different CoPs,
and track changes over time. In addition to the core questions, members of each CoP are strongly encouraged to develop
a set of evaluation questions that are specific to their community. CDC evaluation staff is available to assist
with this process. The “Core Evaluation Template” provides the questions and allows
for additional questions that are unique to your CoP.
Innovation Tracking
The CoP environment should prove to be a fertile one that generates new ideas and products, improves existing ones, and disseminates
what is learned to improve the practice of public health informatics. The “Innovation Tracking Tool” is provided for tracking products,
ideas, and innovations as part of the overall CDC evaluation.
CAVEAT:
High-quality evaluation requires time and effort from the beginning of the process through the justification
and sharing of conclusions. Evaluation of each CoP has been designed to relieve CoP members of burden while maximizing individual
input into the process. The Evaluation section of this toolkit presents the basic concepts of evaluation and provides tools
to participate in the process. Feel free to take a closer look at evaluation and give your input into developing an evaluation
for your community.
The following table provides an overview of resources that may help you with preparing and conducting an evaluation. Each Resource described below is located in the Resources section.
| Related Resource | Description | Audience |
| SWOT Analysis Tool | A SWOT analysis will help you identify internal and external factors in the environment (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) that can help with the development of your CoP's goals and objectives. |
Leaders of new and existing PHIN Communities of Practice (CoPs) |
| SMART Objectives Template | When it comes time to define the goals and objectives of your CoP, this template will walk you through the process of developing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based objectives. |
Leaders of new and existing CoPs |
| Core Evaluation Template | This template helps you start-off your evaluation process by aligning it with the standard evaluation for all PHIN CoPs. The template contains core questions that gather the same information across all PHIN CoPs. Each CoP can then modify the template by adding additional questions that are specific to its goals and objects. |
Leaders of new and existing PHIN Communities of Practice (CoPs) |
| Innovation Tracking Tool | Creation and dissemination of new products and ideas are important outcomes of CoP collaborations. This template provides a means to record and track innovations that come from PHIN CoPs. |
Leaders of new and existing PHIN Communities of Practice (CoPs) |
Contact Us:
- Communities of Practice Program
- Public Health Information Network (PHIN)
- National Center for Public Health Informatics
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Atlanta, Georgia 30345
- 404-498-6455
- PHIN@cdc.gov
