Content of this seminar
This three-day course is offered in a collaboration between the Unit of Health promotion, University of Southern Denmark and the Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer), Cardiff University, UK – a Public Health Research Centre of Excellence.
The British Medical Research Council’s (MRC) framework for development and evaluation of complex interventions are used world-wide to improve the quality of interventions in public health and applied health sciences.
Parts of the course has earlier been delivered at Aalborg University but may be transferred to SDU. DECIPHER also ofters similar courses at Cardiff University.
The first two days, the course will give a general introduction to the 2021 MRC framework, the role of program theory in intervention research and some of the guidance underlying the overall 2021 MRC framework: 1) the 2020 guidance on adaption of interventions to other contexts (ADAPT) and 2) the 2015 guidance on Process evaluation. The focus of the third day is an introduction to the principles of realist evaluation of interventions in complex systems.
In intervention research, most attention are often given to the theoretical and methodological issues of development of especially intervention components/activities and to the design of appropriate effect evaluation, often by use of randomised controlled trials.
Understanding change mechanisms and knowing when and how to adapt an evidence-based intervention instead of starting a new development process is however highly important aspects of work with complex interventions. Also process evaluation is an essential part of testing and evaluation of complex interventions, allowing researchers to learn the significance of context and mechanisms of impact - how the delivered interventions do (or doesn’t) bring about change but process evaluation may also focus on other key uncertainties and on other implementation measures such as fidelity, reach or different type of acceptability. We will discuss similarities and differences between process evaluation and realist evaluation, that is generally interested in uncovering “what works for whom og under what circumstances”.
Aim
The course will provide the participants with a working knowledge of the theory and practice of adaption, process evaluation and realist evaluation of interventions in complex systems and understanding of:
• Program theory and logic modelling in interventions in complex systems
• The concept of adaption and key issues in adaption processes
• Stakeholder involvement and other key elements in the 2021 MRC framework
• The role of process evaluation in understanding interventions in complex systems
• Evaluation questions and process evaluation methods
• Realist evaluation, key concepts and principles
• Analysis and dissemination of evaluation data
Form
During the course, lectures will be mixed with group work and discussions. The teaching will stimulated active participation
Lecturers: Reader, Dr. Rhiannon Evans (visiting from Cardiff University) and Prof Charlotte Overgaaard, SDU and 1-2 guest lectures).
Course fee
The course is free of charge for PhD students enrolled in Universities that have joined the "Open market agreement", as well as employees at the Faculty of Health sciences at the University of Southern Denmark.
For other participants there is a course fee of DKK 2371,-