Program evaluation and finance
CPD programs should integrate evaluation of the effect of the activity on the health practices of the targeted cohort. Formal CPD program evaluation should be introduced early in the process so there is a baseline against which to measure effectiveness in meeting identified needs and make improvements based on feedback (UHPC 2008).
Another element of CPD concerns the financial aspects of implementing such programs. Building on a needs assessment and a planning process, one which takes into account realistic costs of such efforts, CPD should be:
- Integrated into the sectoral health care approach
- Appropriately reflected in national health sector budgets—providing for both programmatic and administrative needs, with multiyear resource allocations
- Not subordinated to other health service demands (WFME 2003; Ndege 2006).
CPD programs should be administered in such a way that expenditures and revenue are documented, the CPD activities are adequately budgeted for, and policies and procedures regarding human resources, financial resources, and legal obligations are followed (UHPC 2008).
This is invariably a challenge because of competing priorities and operational needs. Thus there is a need to develop and improve resource mobilization strategies as a way of addressing financial constraints facing CPD program implementation. This could involve pooling resources from various sources (e.g., donors, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector) and consumers of CPD.