This research explored evaluation capacity building (ECB) needs and strategies, as well as facilitators and barriers experienced by program staff and independent evaluators working with community-based health organizations (CBHOs) in India. It suggests a significant shift from donor-led to CBHO-led evaluation practice in the community health…

Out-of-wedlock pregnancy among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa is a major concern, because of its association with health, social, psychological, economic and demographic factors. This article describes the development of the Teenage Mothers Project, a community-based intervention to improve psychological and social well-being of unmarried…

Minimising discrepancies between Australia's rural and the more favourable urban health status relates to more than workforce recruitment, retention and access to health services: A proactive strategy, using resources at hand, can empower people to improve their health. Academics from a nurse education unit have, therefore, regularly engaged with…

This article describes the results of a qualitative case study evaluating a research mentorship program in community care settings in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of the program was to build evaluation and research capacity among staff of community care agencies through a mentorship program. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured…

This paper reflects on a process evaluation of a home visitation programme in South Africa. The programme, implemented in two low-income communities, focused on the reduction of risks to unintentional childhood injuries. The evaluation comprised a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including observations in conjunction with an…

This study aimed to examine the implementation, adequacy, and outcomes of discharge planning. The authors carried out a prospective study of 1,426 adult patients discharged from 11 acute care hospitals in Israel. Social workers provided detailed discharge plans on each patient. Telephone interviews were conducted two weeks post-discharge. Findings…

Some of the clinical, social, and administrative issues raised by the Department of Health and Social Security's (DHSS) policy for developing a community psychiatric service are discussed. Questions and answers about policy implementation are also covered, as well as evaluative research findings that bear upon relevant aspects of community…

The evaluation strategy adopted by a rural Ontario (Canada) community health center is described, focusing on problems caused by multiple programs, variable and culturally diverse client base, and nontraditional approaches to health and wellness. The evaluation attempted to give a broad picture of the center's dynamics, processes, and efficacy.…

As mental health policies and systems become subject to legislative and public scrutiny, more information is needed to evaluate such programs in the United States and abroad. A cross-national survey of 42 countries and provinces compared mental health policies, mental health services, awareness of these services, evaluation, and financing. Notable…

The theme of this serial issue is helping individuals involved in community health programs at the local level to devise and apply a protocol for the evaluation of a community health program. In the opening sections of the issue evaluation is defined, the difference between a direct quantifying measure and an indicator is clarified, obstacles to…

The manual is addressed to nutrition and health educators interested in trying out new participatory ways of working at the community level and describes simple techniques to train field staff to approach local communities more sensitively and involve them more fully in achieving better health. Techniques and materials are all experiential and…

A Spanish version of a manual on workshops for training nutrition and health field educators to approach communities more sensitively emphasizes techniques for involving community members in efforts to achieve better health and nutrition. Experiential workshop materials and techniques have been field-tested in several countries, including…

This publication summarizes the evolution of the basic ideas and philosophies of a community development organization called Servol in Trinidad and recounts how over nine years these ideas coalesced into a unified approach. The document describes how the earliest projects--a welding institute, a clinic, a nursery school, and recreational…