CDC Program Evaluation Framework, 2024

Abstract

Program evaluation is a critical tool for understanding and improving organizational activities and systems. This report updates the 1999 CDC Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health (CDC. Framework for program evaluation in public health. MMWR Recomm Rep 1999;48[No. RR-11];1-40) by integrating major advancements in the fields of evaluation and public health, lessons learned from practical applications of the original framework, and current Federal agency policies and practices. A practical, nonprescriptive tool, the updated 2024 framework is designed to summarize and organize essential elements of program evaluation, and can be applied at any level from individual programs to broader systems by novices and experts for planning and implementing an evaluation. Although many of the key aspects from the 1999 framework remain, certain key differences exist. For example, this updated framework also includes six steps that describe the general process of evaluation planning and implementation, but some content and step names have changed (e.g., the first step has been renamed Assess context). The standards for high-quality evaluation remain central to the framework, although they have been updated to the five Federal evaluation standards. The most substantial change from the 1999 framework is the addition of three cross-cutting actions that are core tenets to incorporate within each evaluation step: engage collaboratively, advance equity, and learn from and use insights. The 2024 framework provides a guide for designing and conducting evaluation across many topics within and outside of public health that anyone involved in program evaluation efforts can use alone or in conjunction with other evaluation approaches, tools, or methods to build evidence, understand programs, and refine evidence-based decision-making to improve all program outcomes.

FIGURE 1

CDC Program Evaluation Framework including three cross-cutting actions, six evaluation planning and implementation steps, and five evaluation standards

FIGURE 2

Example logic model for Step 2 (Describe the program) of CDC Program Evaluation Framework^†,§ * Based on CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers Campaign. R Murphy-Hoefer, CDC, personal communication, August 2024. ^† Contextual factors: social determinants of health, U.S. national media infrastructure, cessation support infrastructure, and other media campaigns. ^§ Theoretical foundations: theory of reasoned action/planned behavior, health belief model, social learning theory, transtheoretical model of change (stages of change), or diffusion of innovation theory.

FIGURE 3

Sequence of the CDC Program Evaluation Framework informing development and implementation^† of an evaluation plan to generate and support conclusions * Example evaluation plan outline; might differ depending on program evaluation and context. ^† Continued application of cross-cutting actions and evaluation standards. Ongoing consideration of culture and awareness of and adaptation to changing context.