Sharing Your TB Program Evaluation Findings
Disclaimer: The activities in this tool are intended for example purposes only. The actual activities implemented as part of TB program evaluation should be identified by state or local TB program officials in collaboration with other partners. The activities in this tool are not intended to be applied directly to any specific TB program and are not a requirement of any DTBE-funded program. The external resources throughout this tool are informational and do not represent the official position of or endorsement by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This tool was developed to assist state and local tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control programs in sharing evaluation findings with various audiences. It includes information on developing a communication strategy, visualizing data, ensuring the use of evaluation findings, and tips for using the National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP) performance reports. Definitions for key terms used in this tool can be found in the glossary of the CDC Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health Programs: A Self-Study Guide. The implementation of the activities and strategies mentioned in this tool are dependent on the availability of program resources and funds.
(Adapted from CDC Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Evaluation Reporting, Defining Your AudienceCDC Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Evaluation Reporting, Defining Your Audience)
Identifying an audience is critical to effectively share and communicate evaluation findings. Consider who will be the audience receiving the information. For TB programs, these may include:
Internal Audiences
Internal audiences include individuals within a team, division, or program and leadership within an agency.
Funders
Funders include organizations that fund a program’s work.
People or Organizations with Interests in TB Prevention and Control
People or organizations that are invested in the program or interested in the results and recommendations of the evaluation can include, but are not limited to:
- State TB Prevention and Control Program
- County TB Prevention and Control Program
- Local TB Clinics
- Private providers caring for persons with TB
- TB Centers of Excellence (COEs)
- State/Local TB laboratories
- Populations of focus for TB prevention and control
- Indian Health Service and tribal organizations
- Local hospitals for TB care and management
- Regional and national TB controller associations
- TB advisory councils
- Refugee resettlement assistance agencies
- Medical/nursing schools and related hospitals
- Public health schools and associations
- STD/HIV and viral hepatitis education, prevention and training centers
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) primary care networks
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Bureau of Prisons
- Homeless shelters and short-stay facilities
When sharing evaluation findings with an audience, it is important to address the audience’s specific needs and interests. Consider the audience’s needs and future uses of the evaluation’s findings in determining effective strategies for sharing the findings (adapted from Western Michigan Making Evaluation Meaningful Checklistexternal icon, CDC Developing an Effective Evaluation Report, and CDC Coffee Break: Strategies for Effective Reporting). Consider using the following questions as a guide for identifying audience interests when sharing evaluation findings:
- Why is this evaluation important to the audience?
- What is critical for the audience to know, and with what level of detail?
- What questions might the audience ask about the findings?
- How might the audience interpret and use the evaluation findings?
Conveying your evaluation findings using effective communication and dissemination strategies (adapted from CDC Ensuring Use of Evaluation Findings Worksheet 6A) is another important aspect of sharing evaluation findings.
Table 1: Guiding questions for identifying communication and dissemination methods for sharing evaluation findings
| Guiding Questions | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 1. What is the appropriate format to share the findings? | Consider sharing your findings in a format preferred by the audience.
Format options include one-page or executive summaries, infographics, oral presentations, success stories, traditional evaluation reports, journal publications, dashboards, or a combination of formats, and depend on the availability of program resources. Resources:
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| 2. What dissemination method might be preferred by the audience? | Choose a dissemination method that provides the best opportunity to reach the intended audience.
Different dissemination methods include emails, meetings (e.g. in-person or virtual), conferences, webinars, community forums, website postings, listservs, organizational newsletters, social media, or a combination of these. Resources: |
Data visualization is a powerful tool for examining and communicating evaluation data.
When sharing evaluation findings and data, the data should be clear, accessible, and interpretable in their visual presentations for the audience (adapted from CDC Coffee Break: The Power of Data Visualization and CDC Coffee Break: Strategies for Effective Reporting).
In general, effective data visualizations:
Table 2: Considerations for developing impactful data visualizations when sharing evaluation findings
| Considerations | Visualization Options |
|---|---|
| Type of data (quantitative or qualitative) and the best way to represent the data visually | Use graphs, tables, charts, or similar tools to help the reader visualize quantitative data.
Use quotes, word clouds, word treesexternal icon, thematic networks, or similar tools to help the reader visualize qualitative data. Resources: |
| Color schemes and fonts for your organization | Use consistent color schemes, fonts, and other stylistic elements for your visualizations. Check with your organization to determine if they have developed a style guide.
|
| Appropriate visualizations for the format used
|
Use visualizations that work well with the format in which the findings will be shared.
Resources: |
Visualizing Your Data Using the National Tuberculosis Indicators Project (NTIP) State and local TB programs can use NTIP, a web-based performance monitoring tool (NTIP Fact Sheet) to download already prepared images of their program’s performance compared to program objectives and national targets. The following examples show how NTIP images could be useful for sharing data.
Note:“Completed examination” include records reported as having 1) completed examination, 2) treatment recommended (i.e. checked or reported as ‘Yes”), and 3) a ‘TB classification’ reported under Diagnosis. “Not located”, “died”, “moved within U.S.”, “returned to country of origin”, “lost to follow-up”, or “refused” include records reported as having ‘initiated evaluation/not completed’ or ‘did not initiate evaluation’. “Unknown/other” include records reported as 1) having ‘completed evaluation’, but missing data for Treatment Recommended or Diagnosis, or 2) having ‘initiated evaluation/not completed’ or ‘did not initiate evaluation’ and reason is recorded as “other or unknown”.
Evaluation findings are often used to determine the effectiveness of a program, identify areas for program improvement, and justify funding (adapted from Ensure Use of Evaluation Findings and Share Lessons Learned).
By tailoring how findings are shared, incorporating appropriate data visualizations, and promoting the use of evaluation findings, people and organizations with interest in TB prevention and control become empowered to apply the evaluation’s findings in ways that improve programs, reduce disease, and save lives.
With these uses in mind, it is important to recognize that sharing evaluation results is just one piece of the puzzle when working to promote the use of your findings. In addition to sharing evaluation findings, several other actions can help to promote their value and use. These include:
- Engaging and involving people and organizations with interest in TB prevention and control throughout the evaluation.
- Providing interim reports on findings.
- Using findings to provide specific and actionable recommendations.
- Using findings to promote and inform program improvements, such as developing and implementing a remediation plan.
