Barriers and Facilitators to Program Evaluation and Dissemination: A Qualitative Study to Inform Implementation...

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Community Health
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Implementation strategies often cease with funding, hindering long-term maintenance of evidence-based interventions in community settings.
• There is a critical need for implementation strategies that specifically address program evaluation and dissemination to ensure sustained intervention use.
• Understanding barriers and facilitators within community-based organizations is essential for developing effective maintenance strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore barriers and facilitators to program evaluation and dissemination in community-based organizations.
• To inform the development of targeted implementation strategies that support the long-term maintenance of evidence-based interventions.
• To identify community-based organizations' preferences for implementation support.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants.
• An interview guide, informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs, was used to explore evaluation and dissemination.
• Data were analyzed using a rapid deductive approach aligned with the interview guide.

Main Results:

• Key barriers identified include challenges in reflecting and evaluating (e.g., data collection), limited available resources (e.g., organizational capacity), and insufficient organizational incentives and rewards (e.g., lack of recognition).
• Participants expressed a preference for ongoing consultation, practical tools or plans, problem-solving support, and opportunities for peer sharing.
• A technical assistance (TA) protocol, featuring monthly consultations and quarterly learning collaboratives, was developed based on these findings.

Conclusions:

• The identified barriers related to evaluation, resources, and incentives must be addressed to improve intervention maintenance.
• The developed TA protocol aims to build capacity among grantees for effective evaluation and dissemination.
• Further evaluation of the TA protocol is necessary to confirm its effectiveness in overcoming barriers and enhancing program maintenance in community settings.