CPS Planning & Evaluation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which evaluation design provides the strongest evidence of a prevention program's causal impact on substance use outcomes?
- Pre-post design with a single group
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT) (Correct answer)
- Retrospective case study
- Cross-sectional survey
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
RCTs randomly assign participants to treatment and control groups, eliminating selection bias and providing the strongest causal evidence.
Question 2: In logic model development, 'outputs' refer to:
- Long-term community-level changes
- Direct products of program activities such as number of sessions delivered (Correct answer)
- The resources invested in the program
- Changes in participant attitudes or knowledge
Correct answer: Direct products of program activities such as number of sessions delivered
Outputs are the direct, countable products of program activities, such as number of trainings conducted or participants served.
Question 3: A CPS is planning a new prevention initiative. Which step in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) involves identifying community-level risk and protective factors?
- Mobilize
- Implement
- Assess (Correct answer)
- Evaluate
Correct answer: Assess
The 'Assess' step of the SPF involves collecting data on community needs, resources, readiness, and risk and protective factors.
Question 4: Process evaluation primarily answers which question?
- Did the program cause a reduction in substance use?
- Was the program delivered as intended to the target population? (Correct answer)
- Is the program cost-effective compared to alternatives?
- What long-term community changes resulted from the program?
Correct answer: Was the program delivered as intended to the target population?
Process evaluation examines fidelity, reach, and implementation quality to determine if the program was delivered as planned.
Question 5: A prevention planner uses the 'SMART' criteria when writing program objectives. The 'M' in SMART stands for:
- Meaningful
- Measurable (Correct answer)
- Manageable
- Motivational
Correct answer: Measurable
In SMART objectives, 'M' stands for Measurable, meaning progress toward the objective can be tracked with observable data.
Question 6: Which needs assessment data source provides information directly from community members about their experiences with substance use?
- Epidemiological surveillance reports
- Key informant interviews (Correct answer)
- State-level arrest records
- National survey datasets
Correct answer: Key informant interviews
Key informant interviews gather qualitative primary data directly from community members, leaders, or stakeholders with relevant knowledge.
Question 7: When selecting an evidence-based prevention program, a CPS should prioritize programs listed on registries such as SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) primarily because:
- They are always free to implement
- They have been reviewed and shown to produce positive outcomes through rigorous research (Correct answer)
- They require no staff training to deliver
- They are mandated by federal prevention guidelines
Correct answer: They have been reviewed and shown to produce positive outcomes through rigorous research
Programs on evidence-based registries like NREPP have undergone peer review and demonstrated effectiveness in reducing risk factors or substance use outcomes.
CPS Planning & Evaluation 2
Which evaluation design provides the strongest evidence of a prevention program's causal impact on substance use outcomes?