Methods of Evaluation of Community Health Worker Training

This chapter considers the theory and practice of the evaluation of CHW training. It aims to provide guidance on how to conduct evaluations, focusing on evaluations seeking a quantitative measure of effectiveness. The authors highlight the usefulness of ‘thinking through’ how the training is expected to work by developing a logic model. They then show how the model can be used to help design an appropriate evaluation. In addition, potential study designs and ‘end points’ or outcomes to be measured are discussed. However, the authors emphasize, that these elements need to be considered concurrently, because the appropriateness of the study design depends, in part, on the primary outcome measure for the evaluation. The chapter concludes by describing the benefits of mixed methods research and a number of other considerations when designing, implementing, and writing up the important task of evaluating CHW training.