Developing an Intervention:
Outline with Links to Tools for Developing an Intervention
- Identify the community problem/goal to be addressed and what needs to be done. Include:
Chapter 8, Section 2: Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements
Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating Objectives- Statement of the community problem/goal to be addressed
- Specific behaviors of whom that need to change
- Improvements in community-level outcomes that should result
- Assess the level of the problem or goal. Some types of assessment include:
Chapter 3, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Identifying Local Needs and Resources
Chapter 3, Section 4: Collecting Information About the Problem- Direct observation of the problem or goal
- Conducting behavioral surveys
Chapter 3, Section 13: Conducting Surveys - Interviewing key people in the community
Chapter 3, Section 12: Conducting Interviews - Reviewing archival or existing records
Chapter 3, Section 19: Using Public Records and Archival Data
- Describe the prioritized groups to benefit and those implementing the intervention. Include:
Chapter 18, Section 3: Identifying Targets and Agents of Change: Who Can Benefit and Who Can Help
- Targets of change or prioritized groups for whom behaviors or outcomes should change
- Agents of change or those implementing the intervention
- Indicate how you will obtain clients' input, identifying and analyzing problems and goals to be addressed by the intervention. Consider how you will use:
Chapter 17, Section 1: An Introduction to the Problem Solving Process
Chapter 17, Section 4: Analyzing Root Causes of Problems The "But Why?" Technique- Personal contacts - Who will you speak with about what?
- Interviews
- What questions will you ask of whom about the problem or goal and possible interventions?
Chapter 3, Section 12: Conducting Interviews - Focus groups - From what groups will you seek what kinds of information?
Chapter 3, Section 6: Conducting Focus Groups - Community forums
- What public situations would present an opportunity for you to discuss the problem or goal, and how will you use the opportunity?
Chapter 3, Section 3: Conducting Public Forums and Listening Sessions - Concerns surveys - What questions of whom will you ask about the problem or goal and potential solutions?
Chapter 3, Section 10: Conducting Concerns Surveys
- Personal contacts - Who will you speak with about what?
- Analyze the problem or goal to be addressed by the intervention. Use client input to specify:
Chapter 17, Section 3: Defining and Analyzing the Problem
Chapter 3, Section 4: Collecting Information About the Problem- Those for whom the current situation is a problem. Who is affected by the issue, problem, or goal?
Chapter 18, Section 3: Identifying Targets and Agents of Change: Who Can Benefit and Who Can Help - The negative (positive) consequences for those directly affected and the broader community. What effect
does the problem or issue have on the lives of those affected? - Personal and environmental factors to be influenced (i.e., people's experience and history; knowledge and
skills; barriers and opportunities; social support and caring relationships; living conditions that put them at
risk for or protect them from experiencing certain problems).
Chapter 19, Section 2: Understanding Risk and Protective Factors: Their Use in Selecting Potential Targets and Promising Strategies for Interventions - The behavior or lack of behavior that causes or maintains the problem. What behaviors of whom would need
to change for the problem (or goal) to be eliminated (addressed).
Chapter 19, Section 3: Identifying Strategies and Tactics for Reducing Risks - Who benefits and how from the situation staying the same (economically, politically).
- The conditions that need to change for the issue to be resolved (e.g., skills, opportunities, financial
resources, trusting relationships).
Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating Objectives - The appropriate level at which the problem or goal should be addressed (e.g., by individuals, families,
neighborhoods, city or county government), and whether the organization has the capacity to influence such
changes).
- Those for whom the current situation is a problem. Who is affected by the issue, problem, or goal?
- Set goals and objectives for what "success" would look like. Include:
Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating Objectives- A description of what success would look like. How will the community or group be different if the
intervention is successful? - Those goals the intervention is targeted to accomplish. How will you know if your intervention is successful?
- The specific objectives the intervention will achieve. What will change by how much and by when?
- A description of what success would look like. How will the community or group be different if the
- Identify and assess "best practices" or "evidence-based interventions" that could help address the problem or
goal. Indicate:
Chapter 17, Section 6: Generating and Choosing Solutions
Chapter 19, Section 1: Criteria for Choosing Promising Practices and Community Interventions- Potential or promising “best practices” for your situation (consider various available databases and lists of “best” or evidence-based practices)
- How strong is the evidence that each potential “best practice” caused the observed improvement? (Rather than other associated conditions or potential influences)
- Whether the “best practice” could achieve the desired results in your community
- Whether the conditions (e.g., time, money, people, technical assistance) that affect success for the “best practice” are present
- (Based on the assessment) The “best practice” or evidence-based approach to be tried in your situation (Note: If no “best practices” are known or appropriate to your situation, follow the steps below to design or adapt another intervention.)
- (Based on the assessment and literature) Specify the core components and elements of the intervention. Be specific about elements to be included for each of these five intervention components:
Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating Objectives
Chapter 8, Section 5: Developing an Action Plan- Providing Information and Enhancing Skills (e.g., conduct a public information campaign to educate people about problem or goal and how to address it)
- Modifying Access, Barriers, Exposures, and Opportunities (e.g., increase availability of affordable childcare for those entering work force; reduce exposures to stressors)
- Enhancing Services and Supports (e.g., increase the number of centers that provide health care)
- Changing the Consequences (e.g., provide incentives to develop housing in low-income areas)
- Modifying Policies and Broader Systems (e.g., change business or public policies to address the goal)
- Identify the mode of delivery through which each component and element of the intervention will be delivered in the community (e.g., workshops for skill training).
Chapter 8, Section 5: Developing an Action Plan
Chapter 17, Section 7: Putting Your Solution into Practice - Indicate how you will adapt the intervention or "best practice" to fit the needs and context of your community
(e.g., differences in resources, cultural values, competence, language).
Chapter 19, Section 4: Adapting Community Interventions for Different Cultures and Communities
- Develop an action plan for the intervention. Include:
Chapter 8, Section 5: Developing an Action Plan - What specific change or aspect of the intervention will occur?
- Who will carry it out?
- When the intervention will be implemented or how long it will be maintained?
- Resources (money and staff) needed/ available?
- Who should know what about this?
- Pilot-test the intervention on a small scale. Determine how to:
- Test the intervention and with whom
- Assess the quality of implementation of the intervention
- Assess results and consequences or side effects
- Collect and use feedback to adapt and improve the intervention
- Implement the intervention, and monitor and evaluate the process (e.g., quality of implementation, satisfaction)
and outcomes (e.g., attainment of objectives).
Chapter 36, Section 1: A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to the Tools
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