10. Evaluating Training, Implementation and Outcomes

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The training underlines the importance of monitoring implementation processes as well as evaluating mental health promotion training and programme outcomes in general.

 

What this criterion means for care professionals

 

All those whose decisions affect people’s lives should question themselves about the purposes, results and aims of their everyday work. Care professionals should understand evaluation as a process for optimising their role, their knowledge and attitudes. The culture of evaluation, with the idea of valorising what you do, integrating feedback and improving outcomes, plays an essential role in everyday care. Participants need to understand the effects of their mental health promotion actions and not just settle for having got them over and done with.Evaluation is not only about assessing worth or value: it is also about seeking to improve what is being evaluated. But professionals must also understand that assessment belongs to them, and should not be understood as a way for management to control what they are doing. Although training should include information about different methods of doing real world research, it also has to introduce techniques for rapid assessment and methodologies which help ground-level care professionals build and adapt interventions.

 

Illustrate how this criterion could be respected for initial training

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The practice of evaluation involves systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics and outcomes to improve effectiveness and to reduce uncertainties. Initial training should introduce basic methods of evaluation and elementary research skills.

 

Ideas for training modules/exercises

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• include modules on SWOT analysis, checklists for planning and SMART strategies from the very beginning. Teach students to assess the mental health programmes they design. Show students how quality assessments can be used to valorise programmes.

• Evaluation also concerns training:

  • Ask students to evaluate the training sessions they are participating in.

  • Ask students to design evaluation strategies for future training sessions they will participate in.

 

Illustrate how this criterion could be respected for continuous training

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Evaluation is not always positively accepted. Both management and staff can find it to be sometimes too critical and not aiming for development but for control, including budgetary control. Continuous training should not only refresh participants’ knowledge about evaluation techniques and methods, but also help them to see the advantages of using them well.  Make sure participants understand that assessment belongs to them, and should not be understood as a way for management to control what they are doing.

 

Ideas for training modules/exercises

• Ask students to give examples of evaluation strategies they have already used and found useful in other actions.

• Workshop fears concerning evaluation as a way for management to control what frontline staff are doing. Understand how ownership of evaluation strategies can be used to the advantage (a) of the participants and (b) of the programmes.

• Introduce strategies for choosing evaluation methods that are both appropriate and cost-effective.

• Ask students to design multidisciplinary mental health promotion programmes that could be implemented by their particular profession and that include both process evaluation and outcome evaluation by all stakeholders from the outset.

 

Consult the following Resource Kit for further information, relevant legal and policy texts, and examples of posters, slides and training programmes that respect this criterion:

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