Evaluating Your Stairway to Health Program

Evaluation is an occasional and objective review which is used to determine if your Stairway to Health program is doing what it was intended to do. It compares what was expected, to what it actually achieved. The evaluation of your Stairway to Health Program should address the following questions:

Rationale - Why did our organization begin our Stairway Program?

Impacts and Effects - What has happened as a result of the activity?

Goal Achievement - Has our Stairway to Health program or activity achieved what was expected?

Value for Effort - Was the outcome of the program or activity worth the investment of time, effort and money?

Alternatives - Can we change or adapt our Stairway to Health program to better achieve the desired results. How do we overcome challenges or barriers we have encountered?

Considerations for Indicators
In order to answer the questions above be sure to measure success or lack of success against 'indicators' which relate to the design of your program?

Typical indicators for a Stairway to Health Program would include:

• Quality
  Quality indicators are
  • Well-defined
  • Measurable
  • Acceptable measures of the question you want to answer
• Quantity
  • Don't try to measure every indicator
  • Choose several indicators for each evaluation question that assess different aspects of the question
  • Specify a use for every indicator you measure
• Ways to Collect Data from People
  • Written or telephone surveys
  • Personal interviews
  • Activity logs
  • Focus groups
  • Physical measures (e.g., body weight, blood pressure, body mass index)
• Process indicators
  • Signage present
  • Number of events and activities
  • Number participating in related events and activities
  • Level of satisfaction with events and activities
  • Number participating in related events and activities
  • Policy review re: stair climbing, etc.
  • Existence of a physical activity committee
  • Existence or creation or changes in policies that affect stair usage, formal statements from the organizations management etc.
  • Increase in spin-off activities and benefits
• Impact indicators
  Stair use as:
  • Monitored over time through observation or electronic pressure mats for defined periods randomly pre and post
  • Reported by staff on a survey re: staff aware of stair climbing initiative, % seeing signage, reporting change in stair use habits, % of staff feeling that their work environment supports daily active living.

Each Stairway to Health Program is unique, and will need evaluation criteria, which address program differences. Sample evaluation questions are included in the Fact Sheets and Resource section for your use.

Evaluating your Stairway to Health Program - Sample questions