Why Program Implementation is Important

SUMMARY Program implementation refers to how well a proposed program or intervention is put into practice and is fundamental to establishing the internal, external, construct, and statistical conclusion validity of outcome evaluations. Research conducted on preventive field trials indicates that program implementation is variable across change agents and settings and is sometimes seriously compromised, and that the level of implementation influences outcomes. Preventionists should not expect that the quantity or quality of program implementation will be a perfect 100%. Four major steps in studying implementation are discussed and suggestions are offered to insure better levels of implementation.

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