What to know
Cross-cutting actions are the foundational principles that are woven into every step of an evaluation. Evaluations that integrate them are likely to produce more rigorous evidence that is informed by many perspectives and is meaningful, informative, timely, and actionable. Applying these cross-cutting actions also generates insights that support greater health equity.
Overview
Engage Collaboratively
Evaluators can facilitate co-ownership of the program evaluation with interest holders. By doing so, the evaluator can increase the validity of the evaluation findings and improve the likelihood that results are used by interest holders. This collaboration starts at the beginning of the evaluation planning process and continues into the implementation and interpretation phases.
Promote Fair and Just Evaluation Practices and Outcomes
Evaluators play an important role in ensuring all communities can reach optimal health. They do this by using collaborative evaluation approaches that include cross-sector partnerships as well as members of impacted communities. These approaches recognize shared experiences and integrate them into the design and implementation of an evaluation; consider the effects of potential decisions and how they may impact the evaluation process; and identify factors that may prevent the ability to achieve optimal health.
Learn from and Use Insights
Evaluators also serve as facilitators for continuous learning, use of findings, and improvement through evaluation. Successful evaluators build relationships, cultivate trust, and model the way for interest holders to see value and utility in evaluation insights.
The Program Evaluation Framework provides you with more information on how to integrate these cross-cutting actions into your program evaluation approaches.
- Burton, DC., Cardo, D, et al., Principles of Health Equity Science for Public Health Action. 2024. Public Health Reports 139:277-283.