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The Public Health Infrastructure Grant National Evaluation

Evaluation

The Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) is working to strengthen U.S. public health infrastructure — the critical public health systems, processes, and practices that save lives and improve the health of our communities. To assess the impact of PHIG and make sure it effectively supports public health organizations across the country, a national evaluation is underway. The National Evaluation Team leads this important work.

What is the National Evaluation Team (NET)?

The NET turns evaluation data into actionable insights for the public health community through a user-engaged evaluation of PHIG. Taking a user-engaged approach to evaluation means the NET involves people who are most likely to use or be affected by the evaluation findings at every step of the way.

The National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) collaboratively lead the NET in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

Key activities of the NET include:

  • Engaging people who will use the findings, including PHIG recipients and partners, throughout the evaluation process by facilitating the PHIG Evaluation Advisory Group
  • Assessing and communicating how PHIG recipients implement grant strategies and progress toward the grant’s goals
  • Improving the training and technical assistance provided to recipients
  • Leading the Promising Practices Initiative to share evidence-based approaches that public health professionals can adopt in their own work

PHIG Sub-Evaluations

As part of the national evaluation, the NET is conducting a series of sub-evaluations exploring PHIG’s impact in specific areas:

  • The Workforce Sub-Evaluation assesses the effectiveness of PHIG workforce activities to identify successful strategies for strengthening public health workforce development.
  • The Indirectly Funded and Supported Health Departments Sub-Evaluation assesses PHIG’s impact on local and Tribal health departments not funded directly by CDC to identify opportunities to support these organizations more effectively.
  • The Training and Technical Assistance Outcomes Sub-Evaluation assesses PHIG training and technical assistance activities to identify activities that enhance recipient capacity, support workforce development, and advance public health infrastructure goals.
  • The Strategic Partnerships Sub-Evaluation assesses the effectiveness of PHIG-funded initiatives designed to strengthen and sustain partnerships across public and private agencies and a range of non-governmental partners, including businesses, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, faith-based groups, and community members.
  • The Data Modernization Sub-Evaluation assesses PHIG-funded data modernization initiatives to identify successful strategies for enhancing health departments’ data governance, technical infrastructure, and utilization of public health data.
  • The Foundational Capabilities Sub-Evaluation assesses the effectiveness of PHIG-funded strategies to strengthen health departments’ foundational capabilities, including their systems, processes, and policies.

How can I support the national evaluation?

You can support the national evaluation by joining the Evaluation Advisory Group or submitting a practice to the Promising Practices Initiative.

Join the Evaluation Advisory Group

As an Evaluation Advisory Group member, you can share your lived experience, perspective, and expertise to shape the national evaluation. Learn more about the group and how you can contribute.

Explore the Promising Practices Initiative

The Promising Practices Initiative highlights ways that PHIG recipients across the country are using PHIG funding and support to improve public health infrastructure. The initiative showcases practices at all stages of development so that public health professionals across the country can adapt evidence-based approaches to their work. PHIG recipients are invited to submit practices for consideration. Learn more about the Promising Practices Initiative.