Research and critically evaluate global health organization|Essay
Purpose:
Throughout this course, we deal with many difficult issues. In this assignment, you are being asked to examine ways in which organizations are trying to tackle major global health challenges. Your essay will focus on evaluating programs designed to address the issue you already wrote about in your debate essay. Thus, you will build upon what you already learned to critically evaluate and craft recommendations for programs, interventions, or projects that address your debate topic.
Knowledge and Skills:
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
Research and critically evaluate global health organization, projects, programs, and/or interventions
Craft concrete recommendations for improving programs
Write in a professional manner
Task:
Watch the Challenges and Solutions Essay lecture.
Identify two programs (governmental or non-governmental organizations, projects, or interventions) that are working towards addressing the topic that you wrote about in your Debate Essay. The programs should not address both sides of the debate, rather, the programs should aim to increase the health and wellbeing of a vulnerable group. The programs can be similar in their approach or quite different. You may not choose the programs that are included in the example essay below.
Research the programs that you have chosen.
Download the essay template
Write a 2250 maximum word essay that has three parts: a brief (max 250 words) introduction, and then one section for program one (max 1000 words) followed by a section for the second program (max 1000 words). The main body of the essay focuses on the two programs you have researched. Each program write-up must include a description of the program, an evaluation of the program, and recommendations for the program.
Introduction: the first part of your essay needs to introduce the reader to the topic that the programs aim to address. When writing the introduction, do not assume that the audience has read your debate essay or is familiar with the issue.
Description of program: each section should start with a description of the program. In this description you should identify the program by name, discuss the target population, location, purpose, and objectives of the program, and discuss the process of the program, or the content or features of the program that aims to improve health. Consider the following:
Is the program focused on providing services, material resources, education, opportunities? What are they doing, and note anything you consider to be novel or innovative in their approach.
What is the history of the program (if available)?
What partnerships does the program have or who are the actors that participate to make the program run?
It is likely that some major statistics that justify the program’s existence will be cited on the sources you access. Look for some kind of “problem statement.”
If for some reason any of the above information is not reported, you should note this as a program evaluator, and do some quick research to report disease or obesity or food insecurity prevalence (or whatever your topic is) in that specific location. Proper citations are a must here, if you are doing outside research. These could be academic sources, but also government reports.
Evaluation of program: following the description of the program, you should evaluate the program. Your evaluation needs to focus on three areas: (1) effectiveness, (2) acceptability, and (3) sustainability.
Effectiveness: an evaluation of effectiveness of the program examines whether the program has any documented success in achieving its goals. Look back to the description and see what the program said it did. What evidence do they provide that they have done anything effective? Most programs do list their achievements in order to continue securing funding. Make sure the achievements they list are in line with their mission. If possible, determine if the changes they document can actually be attributed to the program (rather than just co-occurring due to other factors).
Acceptability: an evaluation of acceptability addresses whether or not the program’s approach is appropriate for their area and target population. Does the program appear to understand the cultural context in which it is operating? Does the program appear to understand how poverty and inequities (as well as other factors such as mental health) effect the target population? In other words, is the program ethical?
Sustainability: an evaluation of sustainability focuses on whether the program has long-term viability. Generally speaking, the focus here is on finances. Look at how the organization is funded and see if it is sustainable over the long term. How likely it is that the program will exist and be successful next year? In ten years?
Recommendation(s) for programs: based on your evaluation of the program, your own understanding of the issue as developed through your debate essay, and what you have learned in this course regarding poverty, social justice, and health, develop recommendations for how the programs can improve. It is generally easiest to think about possible improvements in the same way that you evaluated the program, crafting recommendations for effectiveness, acceptability, and/or sustainability. Another useful strategy is to think about what was successful in your evaluation of your other program and how that success could be translated to this program. The recommendations need to be concrete ways that the programs can improve.
You must cite at least two course materials (lectures or readings) in your essay to justify the recommendations that you are making.
Formulate your Works Cited/References page using APA formatting. Make sure that everything in your Works Cited/References has a corresponding in-text citation. Please see the information under the tab “How to conduct academic research” for help on correctly formatting your works cited.
Provide a title for your essay.
Your title, name, and the references will not be counted in the 2250 required word count.
Your paper should be formatted with single spacing, 1-inch margins, and 12-point Times New Roman font.
Save your file as LastnameFirstname_ChallengesandSolutions_Summer2018
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