Implementing a Health Program

The process of planning and evaluation is cyclical and their activities are interdependent. The activities happen in stages; the end of one activity or program leads to the next. The ideas, insights, and learning derived from a particular stage are likely to affect the decisions and activities of the next stage.

Despite this, the process of planning and evaluation is usually presented in a linear manner with sequential steps. The cycle is often affected by external influences. Planners and evaluators need to be flexible in responding to these influences

Health Program Models

Good health programs involve a good deal of effort and a well-developed model. These models provide direction and structure to the program to be built on. The models may not be used completely during the planning process, or various parts of the model may be combined to suit the program. There are some commonly used models in health program planning:

· Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Constructs in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation (PRECEDE)-Policy, Regulatory, and Organizational Constructs in Educational and Environmental Development (PROCEED): Commonly known as the PRECEDE-PROCEED model, it is the most well-known model in this field because it is theoretically grounded and comprehensive. Planning, implementation, and evaluation are all combined in this model.

· The Model for Health Education Planning (MHEP) analyzes:

· Planning through six phases

· Content through three dimensions―subject matter, method, and process

· The Comprehensive Health Education Model (CHEM) consists of six major steps and several suggested procedures within each step.

· The Model for Health Education Planning and Resource Development (MHEPRD) is a less known model. The five major components of this model are―health education plans, demonstration programs, educational programs, research programs, and information and statistics. Each component represents the end result of the planning process. In this model, evaluation plays an integral part in each phase of the model.