About ETA
In November 2006, RMC won a five-year evaluation technical assistance (ETA) contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH). Through this contract, RMC staff members provide ETA to DASH funded partners—which include state, territorial, and local education agencies; tribal governments; and non-governmental organizations that CDC funds to implement comprehensive adolescent and school health programs.
The goal of the ETA contract is to strengthen DASH funded partners’ capacities to meet DASH evaluation expectations for program planning and description, process evaluation, program improvement, and in-depth evaluation. (DASH evaluation expectations are described at http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/evaluation/expectations.htm) To accomplish this goal, RMC performs the following major tasks, as requested by CDC:
- Provide ETA by phone, email, Web conferencing, or in person to DASH funded partners that need assistance in meeting DASH program evaluation expectations;
- Develop and assess the usefulness of evaluation resources, reports, and tools to aid DASH funded partners in conducting program evaluations;
- Promote and market ETA activities and resources to DASH funded partners through the development and distribution of marketing materials;
- Design and implement evaluation workshops and trainings for DASH funded partners and DASH project officers.
CDC considers RMC staff to be members of the DASH Evaluation Research Team (ERT). As such, the RMC ERT works closely with the DASH ERT to provide seamless evaluation support to DASH funded partners.
RMC staff members with contract responsibilities include:
- Pat Lauer, Project Director
- Tracy Wright, eLearning/Professional Development Consultant
- Tessa Crume, Evaluation Consultant
- Jill Elnicki, Evaluation Consultant
- Anne Milliken, Resource Specialist
- Carolyn Horcher, Administrative Assistant
For more information about the ETA contract, contact Pat Lauer, patl@rmc.org, or Karen Debrot, the DASH project officer for the contract, kdebrot@cdc.gov.
DASH funded partners who have questions about evaluation activities or need technical assistance should contact their Project Officers or the Evaluation Research Team at ert@cdc.gov.