15. Evaluation

Abstract

Evaluations are an essential part of disaster management and preparedness. Evaluations provide the evidence necessary to build the science. The deconstructed processes from assessments through implementation and conclusion of the interventions have been outlined and can now be evaluated so as to define critical points of success and/or failure within the respective processes. Interventions should be examined for their effectiveness in achieving the objectives for which they were selected and for their contributions to attaining the goal outlined in the strategic plan. Effects of an intervention other than those for which the intervention was selected may have an additive benefit or they may have a negative impact on the affected society. Resource consumption (costs) is an important element of evaluations. Health disaster management evaluations aim at quality improvement for future interventions (preparedness). However, evaluation based on participating and/or concomitant observation also may open for improvement of ongoing interventions.

Keywords: benefits; costs; effectiveness; effects; efficiency; evaluation; goals; impact; interventions; objectives; outcomes; outputs; plans; projects; quality assurance; quality improvement; research; responses; structure.