About Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Evaluation

Key points

  • CDC is conducting an ongoing evaluation of the Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS) Block Grant.
  • Overall, findings show that the PHHS Block Grant helped state, tribal, local, and territorial agencies strengthen the public health system.
PHHS Block Grant Key Evaluation Findings Graphic

Overview

The PHHS Block Grant evaluation assesses the grant's value (i.e., benefits and contributions).

  • The aim is to strengthen performance and accountability.
  • The evaluation describes and measures outputs and outcomes.
  • The evaluation assesses the grant as a whole—not individual recipient activities or outcomes.

Evaluation

The evaluation seeks to answer two overarching questions:

  1. How does the PHHS Block Grant support recipients addressing their jurisdictions' prioritized public health needs related to Healthy People 2030 objectives?
  2. How does Block Grant contribute toward achieving organizational-, systems-, and health-related outcomes?

The evaluation consists of several key activities, including:

  • Implementing a measurement framework to determine recipient achievements
  • Analyzing recipient allocation of funding to Healthy People 2030 objectives
  • Exploring the relationship between PHHS Block Grant funding and health outcomes

Measurement Framework

A key evaluation component is the PHHS Block Grant Measurement Framework [PDF – 727 KB].

The framework is an innovative measurement approach that allows for:

  • More standardized collection of information
  • Aggregation of health department outputs, outcomes, and achievements
  • Tracking of grant funds
Measurement Framework Graphic / Largest, Outer Circle: Results. Emerging needs addressed, Public health infrastructure improved, and Evidence-based public health practiced. Outcomes of the grant resulting from successful use of PHHS Block Grant funds / Middle Circle: Use of Funds. Maintain existing public health efforts, Enhance or expand existing public health efforts, Initiate new public health efforts, and Sustain or restore public health efforts. Grantees use PHHS Block Grant funds to address their prioritized public health needs. / Small, Center Circle: Flexibility. .... to address public health needs. Grantee' ability to identify, prioritize, and address their public health needs.
PHHS Block Grant Evaluation Measurement Framework

PHHS Block Grant Evaluation Framework

The framework consists of four key measures:

  • Improvement of information systems to collect public health information
  • Improvement in efficiency of operations, programs, or services
  • Emerging public health needs addressed
  • Evidence-based public health interventions implemented

About the findings

Key Findings Report-2022

  • In fall 2022, 50 out of 61 PHHS Block Grant recipients (82%) completed surveys.
  • The survey assessed select outputs and outcomes achieved.
  • The survey evaluated recipient, tribal, and local health departments, and local organizations.
  • Findings show that PHHS Block Grant helped strengthen public health systems.

Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Evaluation Report: 2022 Framework Measures Assessment—Key Findings

Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Evaluation: 2022 Executive Summary

Note: Evaluations are conducted every two years. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was a delay with the 2021 evaluation. It was performed in 2022.

Previous Evaluation Reports & Executive Summaries