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Setting the Course for Desired Outcomes
By David S. Anderson, Ph.D.
Director, Center for the Advancement of Public Health George Mason UniversityThis article builds upon an article run in the February 1998 Peer Educator which emphasized the importance of doing evaluation. As cited in that article, those of us committed to making a difference on campus alcohol abuse and related issues believe that we are making a difference, and we don't want to waste our heart-felt effort on something that really is not very helpful. Evaluation thus helps provide feedback about any results that come from our efforts.
Coupled with this emphasis upon evaluation - at the beginning of any project or event - is the second recommendation from the Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies Sourcebook, which states, "Ensure that efforts are clearly defined and well grounded." This incorporates several elements. First, emanating from a significant finding we made after reviewing hundreds of applications for noteworthy campus-based efforts to address alcohol problems, we found that "campus initiatives often do not clearly articulate desired outcomes."
While the applications revealed many good and innovative strategies, what campus planners actually wanted to accomplish with the efforts was typically not clear. An example will illustrate the difference. If we want to reduce deaths due to drinking and driving, what would be the most effective approach? A discussion around this will probably generate suggestions such as having designated drivers, enforcing the laws more, having stricter sanctions, and incorporating good education programs. While these efforts may indeed be helpful in reducing drinking and driving, the more effective strategies for reducing deaths due to drinking and driving are to have air bags and to have people use seat belts. This example illustrates the care underlying a clear specification of what we want to accomplish.
As you think about your campus program (whether an event or a whole programmatic thrust), you need to first be clear about what you want to accomplish; what is it that you want to see different as a result of your efforts? You have some specific concerns (based on the areas of concern that have been noted through needs assessments, campus crime reports, and student and staff discussions) that you would like to see addressed through your campus efforts. This may be having greater awareness about campus resources, getting more ownership for personal responsibility, increasing willingness to intervene with a friend or neighbor when seeing problem behavior, or promoting greater knowledge about policies and laws. Steven Covey cites a similar theme of "Begin with the End in Mind" as his second habit in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Following this, think about what approaches will be helpful in addressing this need. This includes the strategies (like a media campaign or a policy statement) and programs (like workshops or discussions). There should be clear parallelism between what you want to accomplish and what approaches are chosen. All too often, well-intentioned program planners decide to do something, but don't know why (except, perhaps, that it's been done in the past or because it "sounds good"). For example, you may want to do a newsletter. Ask yourself why before proceeding; if you are clear what you want to accomplish, and believe that publishing the newsletter will help this, then proceed!
When identifying the approaches, be sure to clearly define your target audience. This is essential, since some of your strategies will vary based on the group you're working with. That is, approaches that may work with male athletes may need to be altered for female athletes. Similarly, you will have different approaches for fraternities and sororities, or for entering students versus those preparing to graduate.
After you are clear with the desired accomplishments and approaches, ask why you believe that strategy will help achieve the desired outcome. What assumptions do you have that may help clarify the validity of your claim? Similarly, what assumptions are you making that may be faulty, thus leading you to implement a strategy that will not really be effective. It's important, as planners, to have an honest discussion about these assumptions. To help validate (or challenge) your assumptions, it's helpful to know what research and the professional literature says about the issue.
With this process, it's important to "check it out" to determine how what you decide matches existing research. Check with student affairs staff, faculty members or graduate students about what they know. They may have insights about what approaches are helpful to accomplish various objectives. They can be helpful in broadening your thinking about ways of accomplishing what you want. They may have insights from the professional literature or their experience. Note that they may also offer insights from other fields of study that can be applied to this area. Another way of checking out these assumptions is with discussion groups, focus groups, and key informant interviews. As you review the specific approaches you want to use, review your assumptions about your targeted groups. Involve "grass roots" participants, not just those in leadership positions.
Through all of this, the major theme is to be organized and prepared. Know that "planned change" is a field of study; you certainly can benefit from some of the principles of being organized in your thinking and preparation. Anticipate obstacles and gaps, and to try to fill them in. As you build your action plan, identifying what you want to do, when various tasks need to be done, who is responsible for what, and related tasks, you can build your plans and be very clear with them. It's also important to try to accomplish what actually can be accomplished; try to keep the efforts achievable, doable, and manageable. An extra benefit is to attempt to do something that will provide a success on the early end of the project or time period. Build in something doable so that you have some success to celebrate, and then get on with other tasks. This will help your energy and that of those around you!
David S. Anderson, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at George Mason University's Center for the Advancement of Public Health. Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies is based at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Project Co-Directors are GMU's Dr. Anderson and Gail Gleason Milgram, Ed.D. of the Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University. Funded by a grant from The Century Council, Promising Practices: Campus Alcohol Strategies hosts a web site at http://www.promprac.gmu.edu; project staff can be contacted at 703-993-3697 or caph@gmu.edu.
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