Policy Evaluation

Policy strategies are one way to address injury and violence prevention at a population-based level. Although policy has been used effectively in some areas of injury and violence prevention, policy strategies in some areas lack a sufficient evidence base. Policy evaluation can establish or improve this evidence base and serve an important purpose along the entire chain of the policy process. NCIPC developed this series of briefs to increase the use of policy evaluation methods in the field of injury prevention and control.

The briefs and related appendices are intended to provide an increased understanding of the concepts and methodologies of policy evaluation. They are not intended to provide a “how-to” but rather to provide a solid foundation for exploring the utility of policy evaluation as a methodology and an overview of the critical steps and considerations throughout the process. Each of the briefs focuses on one specific aspect of policy evaluation; however, reading them all will provide a comprehensive overview of policy evaluation concepts and methodology. The appendices provide additional detail on specific topics.