Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Success stories are evaluation tools that have been used by professionals across disciplines for quite some time. They are also proving to be useful in promoting health programs and their accomplishments. The increasing popularity of success stories is due to the innovative and effective way that they increase a program's visibility, while engaging potential participants, partners, and funders in public health efforts. From the community level to the federal level, program administrators are using success stories as vehicles for celebrating achievements, sharing challenges, and communicating lessons learned. Success stories are an effective means to move beyond the numbers and connect to readers—with a cause they can relate to and want to join. This article defines success stories and provides an overview of several types of story formats, how success stories can be systematically collected, and how they are used to communicate program success.

Keywords

success stories program evaluation using evaluation results

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Archer, T.M. , Cripe, R. , & McCaslin, N.L. (1992). Making a difference: Needs assessments for building coalitions (Agricultural Extension Fact Sheet CDFS-9) . Columbus: Ohio State University. Retrieved April 18, 2007, from http://ohioline.osu.bc-fact/0009.html

Capwell, E.M. , Butterfoss, F. , & Francisco, V.T. (2000). Why evaluate? Health Promotion Practice, 1, 15-20.

Goodman, R.M. (1998). Principles and tools for evaluating community-based prevention and health promotion programs. Journal of Public Health Management Practice, 4(2), 37-47.

Joly, B.M. (2003). Writing community-centered evaluation reports . Health Promotion Practice, 4, 93-97.

Worthen, B.R. , Sanders, J.R. , & Fitzpatrick, J.L. (1996). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Capwell, E.M. , Butterfoss, F. , & Francisco, V.T. (2000). Why evaluate? Health Promotion Practice, 1, 15-20.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2003). WISEWOMAN works: A collection of success stories from program inception through 2002. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved April 20, 2007, from http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/publications.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ( 2006). The Preventative Health Services block grant: Messages from across America. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion. Retrieved April 20, 2007, from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/blockgrant

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ( 2007). Impact and value: Telling your program's story. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Oral Health. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/library/success_stories_wkbk.htm

10.

Kibel, B. M. , & Cullotta, T. P. (Eds.). (1999). Success stories as hard data: An introduction to results mapping. New York: Kluwer/ Plenum.

11.

Lewis, S.D. , Johnson, V.R. , Farris, R.P. , & Will, J.C. (2004). Using success stories to share knowledge and lessons learned in health promotion. Journal of Women's Health, 13, 616-623.

12.

Polkinghorne, D.E. (1988). Narrative knowing and the human sciences. Albany: State University of New York Press. Stratagem Consulting. (n.d.). Success stories . Retrieved April 20, 2007, from http://www.stratagemconsulting.com/experience/index.html

13.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ( 2006, December). Healthy People 2010 midcourse review. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Available from http://wonder.cdc.gov/data2010 W. K. Kellogg Foundation. (2004, January). W. K. Kellogg Foundation logic model development guide. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/Tools/Evaluation/Pub3669.pdf

The Program Success Story: A Valuable Tool for Program Evaluation

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References