ABSTRACT
Public health programs and activities may cover a range of services designed to monitor health conditions, empower people through health education programs, advocate for policies that support the health status of individuals and communities, or create opportunities for equitable access to needed health services. Effective programs are a result of an intentional process that engages stakeholders in planning and evaluation tasks, including needs assessment, and involves a design process that identifies change strategies, inputs needed to implement the strategies, and the articulation and evaluation of intended program outcomes. This chapter focuses on the steps involved with developing effective, evidence-based programs, and ways that evaluation can be used to regularly monitor program effectiveness.
