Document Type

Article

Abstract

PurposeThis study reports on the impact of evaluation studies conducted by Tribal Evaluation Contractors and on tribal capabilities to perform evaluation studies. Five case studies were examined in 1978. This study seeks to identify evidence of change that may have resulted from five Tribal contract evaluations. Attention was focused on the benefits that might be realized from the five tribally-performed evaluations.MethodsFive Tribal Evaluation Contractor (TEC) documents were chosen for review. The five evaluations studied represented wide diversity. Unique aspects of each evaluation included: 1) purpose; 2) subject focus; 3) characteristics of the contractor organization; 4) size of the contract payment; and 5) availability of the TEC project officer. ResultsThe final reports of all studies were distributed and one study has been published and requested internationally. The two tribal evaluations that examined specific management and program needs produced reports that have been used extensively. The three tribal evaluation contracts that were directed toward guiding IHS policy and improving the IHS delivery of medical care services did not have any known effect on IHS operations. ConclusionTo make future TEC studies more useful: 1) revise evaluation contract guidelines to increase the use of such studies; 2) revise IHS monitoring procedures to provide routine feed back and follow-up evaluation reports; 3) provide technical assistance in each IHS Area to increase evaluation effectiveness; 4) provide presentations to the National Indian Health Board to discuss contract evaluation as an opportunity for improving health services; and 5) provide accessibility to IHS evaluation reports to the IHS Areas and Tribal representatives.

Publication Date

1978

Publisher

Indian Health Service, Staff Office of Planning, Evaluation and Research, Rockville, MD 20857 (E-35).

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