Module 4 - SLP: Impact Evaluation and Accountability

Module 4 - SLP: Impact Evaluation and Accountability

Introduction

The processes of impact evaluation and accountability help to assist the alteration with respect to any intervention such as the policy, program or project. The main aim of accountability and impact evaluation is to analyze the achievement of the targets. Impact evaluation analyzes the outcome obtained, and the target decided. It gives the relationship of effects to the causes. Impact evaluation and accountability play an important role in making the pertinent responsibilities. Accountability is part of impact evaluation process. The selected program to evaluate the accountability and impact evaluation is Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV). This is one of the effective programs of Florida Association of Healthy Start, which is started for the health promotion and disease prevention of mothers and children. A perfect design of impact evaluation program help to examine this program is working or not (Chatterii, 2008). It also measures the expected outcome and the actual result of the proposed program.

Discussion

For any organization, it is necessary to appraise the effectiveness and efficiency of the services provided to individuals or population. All the health care organizations and services providers encompass different types of relationships of accountability. These relationships work with variation of success. It is usually the observation of insufficient or failed accountability furnishing the momentum for modification. However, the accountability alone is not sufficient for improving the effectiveness of the organizational goals. The idea of restraints and checks on discretion and power is uncomplicated. On the other hand, the operational work, analytical assessment, and conceptual functions are imperative to inform the action for accountability. The role of health care sectors is also important to check the accountability of the local organization such as the MIECHV program of Florida Association of Healthy Start.

Important Components of the Impact Evaluation Design

There are following components in determining the effectiveness of the proposed services of MIECHV (MSL, 2007).

Decision regarding procession of the evaluation process

Recognition of significant questions for evaluation

Incorporation of the evaluation design into the theory of program

The group selected for comparison should serve as the foundation for the reliable counterfactual, problems related to recruitment of bias, as well as the contagion group

Results should be triangulated

Valuation should be sound contextualized

Approach for Impact Evaluation

The best way to carry out the impact evaluation is designing the survey. MIECHV program also employ the survey program for the purpose. ...