Developing guidance for process evaluations of complex public health interventions Dr Graham Moore (DECIPHer), Dr Suzanne Audrey (DECIPHer) and Dr Lawrence Doi (SCPHRP)
11.00, Wednesday 10 July. Millennium Lounge, level 5
Process evaluation of complex public health interventions is crucial in understanding what was actually delivered in practice and why, clarifying a programme’s causal mechanisms, and understanding how the intervention interacts with its context. Recognition of the need for process evaluation is growing, as reflected by updated Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance, which recommends combining process and outcomes evaluations at definitive evaluation stages. However, there is currently limited guidance for the design, conduct and reporting of process evaluations, with substantial inconsistency in their aims and methods. The MRC Population Health Sciences Research Network (PHSRN) is currently funding a working group to develop process evaluation guidelines. Drs Moore and Audrey are members of this working group.
The aims of the session are to explore i) why we need process evaluations of complex interventions, ii) what process evaluation is, current theories and frameworks that inform process evaluation, iii) how and when to do process evaluation, common challenges and solutions. It will be suitable both for junior researchers with little prior experience of process evaluation, and those with significant experience of evaluation research.
The session will begin with a brief presentation providing a background to current MRC-funded work to develop guidance for process evaluations, an overview of the approach being adopted to guideline development, and progress to date in developing the guidance. The presentation will discuss ‘why’ we need process evaluations of complex public health interventions, definitions of ‘what’ process evaluations are and challenges in deciding ‘how’ to conduct a process evaluation. This will be followed by plenary discussion of participants’ experience of process evaluation, common challenges encountered and solutions. Groups of up to eight participants will then examine, and comment upon, a case study from the draft MRC guidelines, before the session concludes with a plenary discussion focused on the proposed content of the MRC guidelines. Attendees will be given the opportunity to comment on the draft structure and potential content of MRC guidance for process evaluations.
The aims of the session are to explore i) why we need process evaluations of complex interventions, ii) what process evaluation is, current theories and frameworks that inform process evaluation, iii) how and when to do process evaluation, common challenges and solutions. It will be suitable both for junior researchers with little prior experience of process evaluation, and those with significant experience of evaluation research.
The session will begin with a brief presentation providing a background to current MRC-funded work to develop guidance for process evaluations, an overview of the approach being adopted to guideline development, and progress to date in developing the guidance. The presentation will discuss ‘why’ we need process evaluations of complex public health interventions, definitions of ‘what’ process evaluations are and challenges in deciding ‘how’ to conduct a process evaluation. This will be followed by plenary discussion of participants’ experience of process evaluation, common challenges encountered and solutions. Groups of up to eight participants will then examine, and comment upon, a case study from the draft MRC guidelines, before the session concludes with a plenary discussion focused on the proposed content of the MRC guidelines. Attendees will be given the opportunity to comment on the draft structure and potential content of MRC guidance for process evaluations.