Tracking and Evaluation Core Evaluation is critical to research, whether it is interpreting experimental results to determine the next experiment to be done or evaluating results of an intervention in order to inform improvement of the efficacy of the treatment. Similarly, evaluation is critical to the function of the American Indian-Alaskan Native Center for Clinical and Translational Research Center (AI-AN CTRC) in achieving its goals. Thus, the AI-AN CTRC will include a Tracking and Evaluation Core (TEC). The purpose of the TEC is two-fold: 1) To ensure that AI- AN CTRC achieves its goals of building Native health research capacity in Alaska (AK) and Montana (MT) and improves the health of these state?s Native peoples; and 2) To provide ongoing program improvements using data generated from formative assessment measures that support and strengthen project aims and goals. To accomplish these goals, the following specific aims will be achieved:
Aim 1. To develop and utilize an internal evaluation plan to regularly assess achievement of both short term and long-term AI-AN CTRC goals. To achieve this, TEC will develop a functional structure to provide formative evaluation of the impact that the AI-AN CTRC is having on key measures of clinical and translational research expansion, training, and research development across the Core activities. The TEC will facilitate the timely exchange of data between all project components, and strengthen AI-AN CTRC processes and activities.
Aim 2. To evaluate both the processes and outcomes related to the specific aims of the AI-AN CTRC and its components and provide data to be used by AI-AN CTRC leadership to adjust Center activities to more effectively achieve its goals. Comprehensive evaluation will focus on assessing progress toward the AI-AN CTRC overall aims and goals as well as the specific aims and goals of each Core. Annual summative evaluation reports will address the following milestones and ensure program goals are met: a) effectiveness of the Cores; b) collaboration across Cores; c) use of project expertise and resources to advance community based participatory research methods and related biostatistics and epidemiology supports; d) equitable distribution of project resources; e) representation of AI and AN as stakeholders; f) effectiveness of training and mentoring activities; g) implementation, progress, and impact of research to improve health research capacity and overall community health; and, h) progress toward sustainability of research projects.
