Program Description

Intervention planning is a multifaceted and complex skill, which requires careful preparation, logical thinking, and creativity, at the same time being based in theory and evidence. Following an intervention planning framework allows for a well-designed intervention that is theory-driven, evidence-based, feasible, and evaluable. Successful intervention planning requires collaborative thinking, careful research on the target population as well as interventions that have failed or succeeded in the past, brainstorming, and feedback from key stakeholders of the problem and ultimate intervention.

This program focuses on strategic planning for public health practice, applying the social ecologic framework as a foundation for planning an intervention. To effectively plan an intervention, the program also features a tailored review of basic theory and research as intervention planning is unique to the health problem and target population of focus.  Interventions can be programs, policies, media campaigns, or any other initiative to ultimately change behaviors or environmental conditions that support healthy behaviors.

Participants will use an intervention planning framework to move from a needs assessment of the problem and target population to a comprehensive and evidence-based intervention that is driven by theory to accomplish specific and measurable objectives to a plan for adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the intervention. 

Competencies

Participants will learn to:

• Summarize a focused problem analysis of a selected public health issue;
• Articulate very specific performance and change objectives for the chosen intervention that are evidence-based and come from the literature;
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of intervention options, informed by a review of the literature, as they pertain to the chosen health problem, health behavior and target population;
• Prepare a strategic plan for focused public health intervention that is theory-driven, science-based, practical, and evaluable;
• Delineate specific issues and solutions in adoption, implementation and maintenance to assure the continued success of the intervention.

Required knowledge/pre-requisites:

An interest in intervention development and design is required. Participants should be prepared to identify a problem statement or priority area in public health that warrants intervention at the beginning of the program.

This is part one of a two-part program offering that will step learners through the design of a theory-driven, evidence-based, feasible, and evaluable intervention for a public health problem (Intervention Strategies in Public Health) and development of a communication strategy to support an already-established intervention (Communication Strategies in Public Health).  The programs, taken together or separately, are skills-based and arm learners with the ability to quickly respond to public health needs related to policy and program design and subsequent communication to support the policy or program developed and implemented.  While learners will use one intervention as the basis for the programs, the skills acquired will be transferable to a variety of public health problems and contexts.

The two programs are designed to be either completed together in sequence such that the intervention program lays the foundation for the communications program, or separately such that each program can function as an independent experience.