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Program Summary

Intervention planning is a multifaceted and complex skill, which requires careful preparation, logical thinking, and creativity, while 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. 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 to a plan for adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the intervention.

Competencies

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to conceptualize and design an original public health intervention that is theory-driven, science-based and practical.

Specifically, students will be able to:

• summarize – using knowledge and skills acquired from graduate work, or from professional experience – 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.