NACCHO EVIDENCE-BASED ACTION
PLAN TEMPLATE
A TOOL FOR EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING AND
PLANNING
Introduction
As local health departments make critical decisions about prevention efforts, they can use evidence-based public
health approaches to ensure the efficacy and efficiency of the strategies they choose to implement. Such
approaches can be identified through the practice of evidence-based public health, a strategy that can help LHD
practitioners make connections between research on effective health promotion interventions and the specific
health needs and demographic characteristics of the communities they serve. Practicing evidence-based public
health can help LHDs identify cost-effective approaches for solving the health problems in their communities.
Essentially, evidence-based public health offers LHDs an opportunity to identify the strategies that work best to
improve the public’s health in selected settings with various populations. Additionally, LHDs are increasingly being
called upon to rely upon the best available scientific evidence to make decisions about which prevention options to
implement, and where to allocate limited resources. For example, the nation’s health agenda, Healthy People
2020 calls public health practitioners to “strengthen policies and improve practices that are driven by the best
available evidence and knowledge.” The Public Health Accreditation Board now requires LHDs to “contribute to
and apply the evidence base of public health” as part of its accreditation criteria.
As LHDs move forward with evidence-based public health prevention, sound action planning is required to move
from a broad-based goal to use effective practices to strategic action for integrating evidence into decision making
and planning processes.
This document is designed to support LHDs in developing a comprehensive action plan for integrating evidencebased public health practice into their planning and assessment efforts using the Community Guide as a resource.
Key components of such an action plan should include:
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A problem statement describing the health issue to be addressed, the target audience, and prevention
opportunities
A project description describing intervention strategies that will be employed , the evidence base
supporting them, and how they will be adapted to meet the needs of the target audience
SMART goals and objectives
A work plan and logic model summarizing key activities, action steps, a timeline, responsibilities, and
resources needed
A description of community key partners involved in evidence-based initiatives
A plan for evaluating the effectiveness of intervention strategies employed
For additional information and resources about the practice of evidence-based public health for LHDs. Visit
http://naccho.org/topics/HPDP/commguide/index.cfm
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Instructions
Complete the template below to map out your action plan for evidence-based decision making and planning.
Please limit responses to each section to no more than 500 words:
Problem
Statement:
Provide a clear and concise description of the primary health concerns in your
jurisdiction using primary and/or secondary data from a community health
assessment. Include a description of your community’s long-term vision for health,
the health problem to be addressed, the target population affected, socioecological
determinants compounding the issue, key stakeholders involved, the historical
context of the health problem, and opportunities/priorities for prevention.
Project
Description:
Summary of Evidence Reviews
Describe the evidence-based recommendation from the Community Guide (or other
sources) that you will be using to address the health concern described in your
problem statement.
Fit Between Evidence and your Project
Describe how the recommendation will effectively address your health problem and
cite data supporting the effectiveness of the strategy.
Adaptation of the Evidence
Summarize the relevance of the intervention to your target audience, and how you
will adapt the strategy to make it fit your community’s needs.
Describe the SMART goals and objectives you wish to achieve by implementing the
strategy. Include a logic model to show the logical progression of steps that will take
you from your broad goals to action that results in your desired outcomes. State key
activities that will be implemented to achieve your desired outcomes, who will be
responsible for implementing them, a timeline, and resources needed to carry out
your work plan.
Provide a description of how you will engage multi-sector partners in your evidencebased prevention and planning efforts and at what stages. Define key partners
involved, their roles, and responsibilities. Describe how collaboration with each
partner strengthens the project, and why they are best suited to help you carry out
your project.
Describe the evaluation methods you will employ to measure whether the project
goals, objectives, and outcomes have been achieved and if the project is being
implemented as intended. Include an evaluation plan that describes data collection
methods, indicators, analysis, and reporting methods.
Project Work
Plan:
Collaboration:
Evaluation:
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