Implementing a system of care: findings from the Fort Bragg evaluation project.

Abstract

The Implementation Study of the Fort Bragg Evaluation documented how the Demonstration was executed and whether it met the expectations of the continuum of care philosophy upon which it was based. Based on the theory-driven and component approaches to program evaluation, a case study methodology was employed. First, the theories and assumptions about the Demonstration were explicated to derive a program model. Next, the program-as-implemented was compared to the program-as-planned. Barriers responsible for diluting full-scale implementation were documented. This study provides a comprehensive description of how the Demonstration was put into place and the evidence necessary to conclude that the Demonstration was executed with high fidelity, despite barriers, to provide an excellent test of the program theory.