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Use of the program explication method to explore the benefits of a service for homeless and marginalized young people
journal contribution
posted on 2011-03-01, 00:00 authored by J Bamberg, M Chiswell, John ToumbourouJohn ToumbourouMaintaining the alignment between the dynamic development of health and social services and the rapidly advancing scientific evaluation literature is a central challenge facing service administrators. We describe “program explication,” a consulting method designed to assist services to identify and review implicit program logic assumptions against the evaluation literature. Program explication initially facilitates agency staff to identify and document service components and activities considered critical for improving client outcomes. Program assumptions regarding the relationship between service activities and client outcomes are then examined against available scientific evidence. We demonstrate the application of this method using an example of its use in reviewing a service for homeless young people operating in Melbourne, Australia, known as the Young People's Health Service (YPHS). The YPHS involved 21 activities organized within 4 components. The intended benefits of each of the activities were coherently articulated and logically consistent. Our literature search revealed moderate to strong evidence for around 1 quarter of the activities. The program explication method proved feasible for describing and appraising the YPHS service assumptions, thereby enhancing service evaluability.
History
Journal
Public health nursingVolume
28Issue
2Season
March-AprilPagination
140 - 149Publisher
Wiley-BlackwellLocation
Hoboken, N.J.Publisher DOI
ISSN
0737-1209eISSN
1525-1446Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2011, Wiley PeriodicalsUsage metrics
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