Units / PBH3004
PBH3004 · Health program evaluation
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 3School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
Program evaluation is important for measuring the effect of public health programs and determining their influence on longer-term health outcomes. It also provides valuable evidence to improve the delivery, reach and impact of public health strategies. This unit will enable students to design evaluations that are suitable for a range of public health and disease prevention programs. Students will conduct evaluation planning based on theoretical approaches and best-practice principles. Levels of evaluation will be examined, as well as the range of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods suitable for the different contexts and stakeholders involved in public health practice. The unit will equip students with the skills to choose appropriate methods for data collection, as well as use suitable evaluation frameworks, tools and resources specific to public health and disease prevention programs. There will be exploration and discussion of the evaluation challenges posed by the complexities of public health action and the contexts in which it is carried out.
Areas of study: Health science Public health
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Caulfield | First semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-class topic quizzes (7-10 MCQs per week x 10 weeks) | Quiz / Test | 10% | — |
| 2 | Tutorial activities (5 x activities x 350 words equivalent each) | Exercise | 20% | — |
| 3 | Group presentation of evaluation plan (30 mins) & Individual reflection report (900 words) | Presentation | 35% | — |
| 4 | Analysis report of a public health/ health promotion evaluation plan (2,000 words) | Written | 35% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
prohibitions
- PHH3061 — Health program evaluation
Learning outcomes
- Explain how evaluation measures the effect of health promotion and public health programs, and identify the importance of evaluation in terms of influencing long-term health outcomes.
- Apply principles of evaluation planning of health programs and promotions, including theoretical approaches, to evaluation design and assess their suitability for different contexts
- Distinguish between the different levels of evaluation, and consider how they work together to provide a comprehensive assessment of a program.
- Examine the range of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate to evaluation designs, including the use of tools and resources specific to health promotion and public health programs.
- Critically analyse the key features of an evaluation plan designed for a health promotion or public health program and assess the extent it incorporates evaluation principles and design features.
- Apply an evaluation planning process and develop an evaluation plan tailored to a health promotion or public health program.
Workload
Two and a half hour seminar, three and a half hours of directed online student learning activities, plus six hours of self-directed study per week.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 30 hours |
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