Quality Of Program Implementation Research Articles

The Dynamic Electoral Returns of a Large Antipoverty Program

Abstract Governments around the world use short-term reelection strategies. This is problematic if governments can maximize their reelection chances by prioritizing short-term spending before an election over long-term reforms. This paper tests whether longer program exposure has a causal effect on election outcomes in the context of a large antipoverty program in India. Using a regression-discontinuity framework, the results show that length of program exposure lowers electoral support for the government. The paper discusses a couple of potential explanations, finding that the most plausible mechanism is that voters hold the government accountable for the program's implementation quality.

State-wide dissemination of the Resistance Training for Teens program: An evaluation guided by the RE-AIM framework

Introduction: The health benefits of muscular fitness for youth are compelling. Current guidelines recommend young people (5-17 years) engage in muscle-strengthening activities (e.g., resistance training [RT]) on at least three days per week. However, only 13% of Australians aged 15-17 meet this guideline. Schools present a unique opportunity to introduce adolescents to RT. However, few school-based physical activity interventions have focused on RT, possibly due to reported barriers to delivery in schools. Moreover, the majority of school-based interventions do not progress beyond pilot, efficacy/effectiveness phases to be implemented at-scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the state-wide dissemination of the Resistance Training for Teens (RT for Teens) program using the RE-AIM framework. Methods: Student-, teacher- and school-level data related to RE-AIM were collected between August 2015 and October 2020. RE-AIM was operationalised as: (i) Reach: number and characteristics of students estimated to be exposed to the program; (ii) Effectiveness: impact of the program on student-level outcomes measured in a subsample of students (n = 750); (iii) Adoption: number and representativeness of schools with one or more teachers trained to deliver the program; (iv) Implementation: extent to which the program was delivered as intended; and (v) Maintenance: extent to which program delivery was sustained in schools. Results: Estimated program reach was ~10,000 students (~5% of a total student population of ~200,000). Students were from varied socioeconomic and language backgrounds. Program participation improved students’ muscular fitness, RT self-efficacy, perceived cardiorespiratory fitness and flexibility, and participation in muscle-strengthening physical activities. A total of 468 teachers from 249 schools attended program training, with 30 workshops delivered. Schools were located in diverse geographical regions across NSW. Program implementation was measured via lesson observations and we observed considerable variability in the quality of program implementation. Resources were used in the majority of lessons; however, teachers had adapted the program to suit their students and school context. Despite the adaptations that were evident, the necessary focus on RT remained. Adherence to the SAAFE (Supportive, Active, Autonomous, Fair and Enjoyable) teaching principles was high during observed lessons. Fifty-one schools (20.5%) sent an additional (previously untrained) teacher to a second workshop. Discussion: Although the RT for Teens had high levels of reach and adoption, there was considerable variability in the quality of program implementation. Additional research is needed to identify support models to optimise implementation quality and sustain program delivery and effectiveness over time. Trial registration: ACTRN12621000352808 My co-authors and I acknowledge that we have no conflicts of interest of relevance to the submission of this abstract.

How to get the most out of the fit note.

<h3>PURPOSE</h3> We report on the effectiveness of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC), a multicomponent knowledge translation intervention, in increasing the rate at which primary care providers delivered smoking cessation interventions using the 3 A’s model—<i>Ask</i>, <i>Advise</i>, and <i>Act</i>, and examine clinic-, provider-and patient-level determinants of 3 A’s delivery. <h3>METHODS</h3> We examined the effect of the knowledge translation intervention in 32 primary care practices in Ontario, Canada, by assessing a cross-sectional sample of patients before the implementation of the OMSC and a second cross-sectional sample following implementation. We used 3-level modeling (clinic, clinician, patient) to examine the main effects and predictors of 3 A’s delivery. <h3>RESULTS</h3> Four hundred eighty-one primary care clinicians and more than 3,500 tobacco users contributed data to the evaluation. Rates of delivery of the 3 A’s increased significantly following program implementation (<i>Ask</i>: 55.3% vs 71.3%, <i>P</i> &lt;.001; <i>Advise</i>: 45.5% vs 63.6%, <i>P</i> &lt;.001; <i>Act</i>: 35.4% vs 54.4%, <i>P</i> &lt;.001). The adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for the delivery of 3 A’s between the pre- and post-assessments were AOR = 1.94; (95% CI, 1.61–2.34) for <i>Ask</i>, AOR = 1.92; (95% CI, 1.60–2.29) for <i>Advise</i>, and AOR = 2.03; (95% CI, 1.71–2.42) for <i>Act</i>. The quality of program implementation and the reason for clinic visit were associated with increased rates of 3 A’s delivery. <h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3> Implementation of the OMSC was associated with increased rates of smoking cessation treatment delivery. High quality implementation of the OMSC program was associated with increased rates of 3 A’s delivery.

Estimation and mapping of the contribution of nitric acid to atmospheric corrosion of zinc

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Atmospheric zinc corrosion in the Mexico City Metropolitan area has long been attributed mainly to the effect of pollutants such as sulfur dipxide. There are changes in the urban atmosphere's chemical composition due to the implementation of air quality policies focused on reducing the emission of sulfur dipxide and other pollutants. This study's objectives were to estimate and map the contribution of nitric acid on zinc's atmospheric corrosion processMETHODS: The impact of nitric acid on zinc is feasible to estimate using a function for a multi-pollutant situation. This function contemplates the sum of two contributions: one of nitric acid and another that includes sulfuric acid and climatic parameters. The multi-pollutant function is suitable to apply in areas without the strong influence of chlorides and tropical and subtropical climates, comparable to the Mexico City Metropolitan area.FINDINGS: The results showed that spatial and temporal estimation of corrosion rates in grams per square meter of zinc was made for 2015-2019, using data modeling in a geographic information system. The maps of corrosion rates allowed us to visualize that, in general, the southwest zone has the most significant effects and that the lowest corrosion rates were presented in 2019 as an outcome of the implementation of air quality programs. Furthermore, a contribution of nitric acid up to 32% to the zinc corrosion rate was estimated.CONCLUSION: The construction of corrosion rate maps provides a spatial and temporal estimate that allows visualizing areas where zinc materials are at risk corrosion due to the dispersion of atmospheric pollutants and climatic parameters. Likewise, it can represent a decision-making tool for the implementation of atmospheric corrosion studies of materials.

تقییم فعالیة تشریعات الخدمة المدنیة لتطویر سیاسات إدارة الموارد البشریة فى القطاع الحکومى دراسة مقارنة مجموعة دول مجلس التعاون الخلیجى

مستخلص تستهدف هذه الدراسة التعرف على أوجه القصور والجودة فى التشريعات المنظمة لدور مؤسسات وأجهزة الخدمة المدنية في الدول الخليجية فى عملية تنفيذ السياسات العامة عموما وإدارة الموارد البشرية على وجه الخصوص؛ وبيان الدوافع والأسباب التى توجب على غالبية هذه الدول المبادرة لمعالجة وإصلاح التشريعات الخاصة بعمل وأدوار وسياسات ونظم عمل هذه المؤسسات الإدارية باعتبارها من المشاکل الأساسية في الإدارة العامة التى تعوق فعاليتها فى خطط واستراتيجيات السياسات العامة أو تتسبب فى تدنى المؤشرات الاستجابية الخاصة بها، وبالتالي عدم تطوير جودة الأداء ودرجة الإنتاجية وتطبيق برامج الجودة الشاملة والحوکمة أو الحکم الرشيد فى هذه الدول. وقد تم تقسيم هذه الدراسة إلى ثلاثة أقسام وخاتمة: يتضمن القسم الأول فيها تعريفا بالمفاهيم والمصطلحات الرئيسية فى الدراسة وهى الخدمة المدنية والموارد البشرية. أما القسم الثانى فيعرض لکافة التشريعات الأساسية المنظمة والمحددة لتشکيل وأدوار وأهداف وسلطات وصلاحيات مؤسسات وأجهزة الخدمة المدنية الحکومية فى هذه الدول. بينما يتناول القسم الثالث التطورات والتحديات الجديدة التى تستدعى أو تفرض ضرورة إجراء عملية شاملة لإصلاح القصور التشريعى فى کافة القوانين واللوائح المتعلقة والمنظمة لدورأجهزة المدنية فى إدارة الموارد البشرية الحکومية خاصة وتنفيذ السياسات العامة فى دول الخليج عموما. أما الخاتمة فتقدم بعض المقترحات والتوصيات اللازمة لمعالجة أوجه القصور التشريعى التى تکشف عنها الدراسة وبما يعزز من دور أجهزة ومؤسسات الخدمة المدنية فى إدارة الموارد البشرية الحکومية وتنفيذ السياسات العامة المتعلقة بها فى دول قطر والکويت والبحرين والامارات. کلمات مفتاحية: الخدمة المدنية – الموارد البشرية – التشريعات الإدارية – دول مجلس التعاون الخليجى. Abstract This study aims to identify deficiencies and quality in legislation regulating the role of civil service institutions and agencies in the Gulf countries in the process of implementing public policies in general and managing human resources in particular. Explaining the motives and reasons that require the majority of these countries to take the initiative to address and reform the legislation related to the work, roles, policies and systems of work of these administrative institutions, as they are among the basic problems in public administration that impede their effectiveness in plans and strategies of public policies or cause their own response indicators to decline, and thus not to develop quality Performance, degree of productivity, and implementation of comprehensive quality, governance or good governance programs in these countries. This study has been divided into three sections and a conclusion: The first section includes an introduction to the main concepts and terms in the study, which are civil service and human resources. As for the second section, it presents all the basic laws regulating and determining the formation, roles, objectives, powers and authorities of governmental civil service institutions and agencies in these countries. While the third section deals with new developments and challenges that require or impose the necessity of conducting a comprehensive process to reform the legislative deficiency in all laws and regulations related to and regulating the role of civil agencies in managing government human resources in particular and implementing public policies in the Gulf countries in general. As for the conclusion, it presents some proposals and recommendations necessary to address the legislative deficiencies that the study reveals in a way that enhances the role of civil service agencies and institutions in managing government human resources and implementing public policies related to them in the countries of Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE.

A Decade Later: The Impact of Empowerment on Women in Sitio Alitaptap, Province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines and Its Effect on Peace and Social Order

This study examined the impact of empowerment on women after a decade of its rigid campaign in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines and its effect on peace and social order as perceived by the residents of sitio Alitaptap, Nueva Ecija. The researcher utilized a descriptive research design using a self-devised questionnaire to gather information. The findings revealed that the respondents have a high level of conformity to the actions of local government unit to empower women. As to the impact of empowerment on women, the respondents agreed to the positive result of the action taken by the local government unit. The study showed that empowering women brought peace and social order and the quality of program implementation in the place caused high degree of effectiveness in the performance of duty of local officials. However, there are some things that are not clear to the respondents as there are some questions where respondents stand neutral. The study revealed that not only will women gain knowledge of their rights on the action of the local government but will also teach men how to respect women. The only negative result of the study is the threat that women may use their rights to prejudice men that may result in social disorder.

Assessing a WeChat-Based Integrative Family Intervention (WIFI) for Schizophrenia: Protocol for a Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.

BackgroundSchizophrenia is a persistent and debilitating mental illness, and its prognosis depends largely on supportive care and systematic treatment. In developing countries like China, families constitute the major caregiving force for schizophrenia and are faced with many challenges, such as lack of knowledge, skills, and resources. The approach to support family caregiving in an accessible, affordable, feasible, and cost-effective way remains unclear. The wide-spread use of WeChat provides a promising and cost-effective medium for support.ObjectiveWe aim to present a protocol for assessing a WeChat-based integrative family intervention (WIFI) to support family caregiving for schizophrenia.MethodsWe will develop a WIFI program that includes the following three core components: (1) psychoeducation (WeChat official account), (2) peer support (WeChat chat group), and (3) professional support (WeChat video chat). A rigorous stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial will be used to evaluate the implementation, effectiveness, and cost of the WIFI program. The WIFI program will be implemented in 12 communities affiliated with Changsha Psychiatric Hospital through the free medicine delivery process in the 686 Program. The 12 communities will be randomized to one of four fixed sequences every 2 months during an 8-month intervention period in four clusters of three communities each. Outcomes will be assessed for both family caregivers and people with schizophrenia. Family caregivers will be assessed for their knowledge and skills about caregiving, social support, coping, perceived stigma, caregiver burden, family functioning, positive feelings, and psychological distress. People with schizophrenia will be assessed for their symptoms, functioning, quality of life, recovery, and rehospitalization. Cost data, such as intervention costs, health care utilization costs, and costs associated with lost productivity, will be collected. Moreover, we will collect process data, including fidelity and quality of program implementation, as well as user attitude data. Treatment effects will be estimated using generalized linear maximum likelihood mixed modeling with clusters as a random effect and time as a fixed effect. Cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed from the societal perspective using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Qualitative analysis will use the grounded theory approach and immersion-crystallization process.ResultsThe study was funded in August 2018 and approved by the institutional review board on January 15, 2019. Preliminary baseline data collection was conducted in May 2019 and completed in September 2019. The WIFI program is expected to start in September 2020.ConclusionsThis is the first study to assess a WeChat-based mHealth intervention to support family caregiving for schizophrenia in China. The innovative study will contribute to the development of a more cost-effective and evidence-based family management model in the community for people with schizophrenia, and the approach could potentially be integrated into national policy and adapted for use in other populations.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04393896; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04393896.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/18538

Chemical speciation of PM2.5 in Tehran: Quantification of dust contribution and model validation

Each year, considerable levels of dust particles coming from arid regions of the earth contribute to the atmosphere. Because dust has serious environmental and human health effects, predictions of dust concentrations and their contribution to PM surface concentrations are essential for atmospheric research and the implementation of air quality programs and rules. This study aims to assess dust contributions to PM2.5 in Tehran in order to provide guidance for air quality management systems as well as validate the updated Dust Regional Atmospheric Model version 2 (BSC-DREAM8b) and the NMMB/BSC-Dust model using chemical speciation of ground-based measurements of PM2.5. Accurate and reliable measurements are necessary to determine the sources of pollutants as well as to confirm, validate, and improve models. For this purpose, dust concentration and contribution were calculated from chemical speciation of PM2.5 samples that were obtained on a 6 day basis for a whole year from February 2014 to February 2015. The comparison of the dust observations to the model products revealed that model outputs were in good agreement for the monthly averaged values. However, for the daily averaged values, models and ground observation showed a considerable difference. In order to understand possible reasons for the discrepancy, differences between neighboring grid cells were investigated, as well as the effect of sampling frequency. It is found that agreement between models and observations was sensitive to sampling duration and frequency but not to spatial variability between grid cells. This study is the first validation of model outputs with the calculated dust concentration from ground-based chemical speciation of PM2.5 rather than using total PM or aerosol optical depth measurements as a proxy for dust concentrations.

Achieving Better Educational Practices Through Research Evidence: A Critical Analysis and Case Illustration of Benefits and Challenges

Purpose: We examine considerations regarding the positive contributions of evidence accountability and challenges that frustrate educators in gaining access to the needed product information. Design/Approach/Methods: We review the research literature on the multiple characteristics of evidence relative to consumer (practitioner) interests. We then examine, through a “case illustration” of an initiative in a large school district, a second challenge for evidence usage—conducting viable studies and interpreting outcomes from comprehensive interventions in complex educational systems. Findings: Despite attention being given to rigorous evidence, consumers report preferring peer recommendations and local pilot studies as sources. In our case illustration, we found that the availability of evidence from comprehensive formative evaluation studies was viewed by stakeholders as positively contributing to program implementation quality and sustainability over time. Originality/Value: We use a real-world “case illustration” of a complex initiative in a large, diverse school district to illustrate how current policies and expectations regarding evidence support for educational programs is filtered through multiple agendas and personal needs of key stakeholders. Consequently, evaluators acquire nontraditional roles that go beyond routine execution of rigorous studies. Given these factors, we offer recommendations for fostering more meaningful and objective interpretations and usage of evidence by local stakeholders.

38 Process Evaluation of the Praised 2, A Multi-Centre Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) Testing the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of a Therapy Intervention Designed to Promote Activity and Independence Amongst People with Early Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Introduction The 'Promoting Activity, Independence and Stability in early dementia and cognitive impairment' (PrAISED 2) is a randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of an exercise and physical activity programme for people with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. Parallel to the trial, our team is conducting a process evaluation, whose aims are to: 1. Determine the extent to which the programme is being delivered according to plan; 2. Gather feedback from the primary stakeholders on the quality of programme implementation. Here we present preliminary results from the PrAISED 2 process evaluation. Methods The process evaluation comprises two studies: 1. An implementation study, examining the extent to which the programme is being delivered according to plan, which investigates Fidelity (i.e. the consistency of what is implemented with the planned intervention), Adaptations (i.e. alterations made to achieve better contextual fit), Dose (i.e. how much intervention is delivered) and Reach (i.e. the extent to which agents come into contact with the intervention). 2. A study on the mechanisms of impact and context, gathering feedback on the quality of implementation thorugh qualitative interviews with participants with dementia and their carers (as dyads) and therapists delivering the intervention. Results The process evaluation is ongoing and results will be available in Autumn 2019. Conclusion Results from the PrAISED 2 process evaluation will: enable the identification of the active ingredients within the intervention and explain how they are exerting their effect; explain discrepancies between expected and observed outcomes; help to understand how context influences outcomes; provide crucial insights to aid implementation. Findings from this study will represent transferable knowledge for researchers interested in the mechanisms that affect the success of physical interventions for people with frailty.

EVALUASI KURIKULUM PROGRAM KEAHLIAN TEKNIK KOMPUTER DAN JARINGAN SMKN 2 WATAMPONE DI KABUPATEN BONE SULAWESI SELATAN Hasbullah

Abstract. This research is motivated by the fact that graduates of SMK are considered not flexible in adjusting to changes in the workplace, only having a single or specific skill that is quickly obsolete. In addition, there is a gap between schools and industry in terms of curriculum that makes students rigid when involved in the world of work and the industrial world. The general problem formulation in this research is how is the quality of the implementation of the computer and network engineering expertise program at SMKN Bone Regency of South Sulawesi? Specifically, (1) What is the quality of the implementation of the process aspects of the computer and network engineering expertise program? (2) What is the quality of the product aspects of the computer and network engineering expertise program? The purpose of this research is to find out the quality of the implementation of computer and network engineering expertise programs in the Bone Regency of South Sulawesi. The method in this study uses descriptive evaluative with quantitative research approaches. The population is the SMKN majoring in computer and network engineering in the Bone District of South Sulawesi consisting of principals, teachers and students. There were 52 students taken using stratification random sampling technique. The instruments used were questionnaire, interview, documentation study. This research uses descriptive data analysis. The results showed that in general the quality of program implementation was going well. This can be seen from the two aspects that were specifically examined namely the aspects of the process obtained from the questionnaire relating to the perceptions of students and teachers have been going well because it is in accordance with curriculum documents. In the aspect of product / results obtained from the study of documents relating to student learning outcomes data both theory and practice have been going well because it is in accordance with the planned objectives.K

Promoting adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing: evidence synthesis

PurposeEvidence on implementing effective adolescent mental health promotion and prevention interventions in the European context is underdeveloped. The purpose of this paper is to identify evidence-based mental health promotion and prevention interventions for adolescents that have been developed and/or implemented across the school, community and digital settings in Europe. This review also sought to identify the relevant implementation processes in relation to what works, for whom and under what circumstances.Design/methodology/approachA narrative synthesis of the evidence was conducted which included two stages: a systematic search of studies assessing adolescent mental health promotion and prevention interventions; and a selection of interventions with the most robust evidence base, using pre-defined criteria, that have been either developed and/or implemented in Europe.FindingsA total of 16 interventions met the inclusion criteria. The majority of interventions were school-based programmes. The review findings support the delivery of interventions aimed at enhancing young people’s social and emotional learning (SEL) and preventing behavioural problems. Results indicate that the effective delivery of SEL interventions on a school-wide basis could provide an important platform on which other universal interventions such as anxiety and bullying prevention, and targeted depression prevention could be developed in a multi-tiered fashion. There were a limited number of studies providing robust evidence on the effectiveness of suicide prevention, digital and community-based interventions.Originality/valueThis review identifies a number of robust evidence-based promotion and prevention interventions for promoting adolescent mental health. While the interventions have been implemented in Europe, the majority has not been evaluated rigorously and few included detailed information on the quality of programme implementation. Evidence of the effective cross-cultural transferability of these interventions needs to be strengthened, including more systematic research on their implementation across diverse country contexts.

MANAJEMEN MUTU PENDIDIKAN MAN INSAN CENDEKIA

The writing is based on research which describes educational quality management of MAN Insan Cendekia as one of madrasas which performs boarding school system focused on academic programs. The research findings are: The first, implementing quality management at boarding school begun with formulating strategic planning/school framework with certain steps: analysis, formulating program draft, socialization, budgeting, and documentation. The process also determines the school programs those are academic, studentship, boarding, facility and media, and networking. The second, the steps of implementation strategy are implementing and evaluating educational program quality. (1) Implementing educational program quality of boarding school begun with the procedures of socializing quality program plan, technical plan, implementation program, monitoring, supervising, and evaluation with bottom up-top down approach; (2) evaluating educational program quality systematically begun with the procedures of self-evaluation, quality internal audit, teacher’s competence evaluation, management evaluation, and external audit. The third, the supporting factors and the constraint ones in implementing educational quality management correlated with raw input, teachers, budgeting, leader’s commitment to quality, facilities, learning environment, and networking. The fourth, the strategic way to improving the educational qualities are integrating school program with boarding programs, formulating life directions, upgrading human resources and facilities/media, building school culture, and networking.&#x0D; Keywords. madrasa, boarding school, management, quality.

Self-efficacy’s role in success of quality training programmes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore why some firms succeed while others flounder or fail to implement quality improvement programmes. It synthesises self-efficacy literature to propose a model of self-efficacy’s role in affecting implementation success of quality improvement programmes in organisations.Design/methodology/approachA review of scholarly articles on the topics of self-efficacy and quality initiatives brings to light self-efficacy’s role in successful quality programme implementation. When considered in the context of organisation barriers, it can lead to organisational success.FindingsIt is determined that quality training programmes play an important role in affecting existing efficacies and leading to “quality self-efficacy” in employees. The proposed model and related propositions suggest that right approaches of implementing quality training among certain types of employees and/or organisations can promote teamwork to achieve performance success.Research limitations/implicationsMoving forward, the proposed model should be empirically tested to improve our understanding of quality self-efficacy construct and its role in aiding organisational success. Furthermore, it would offer guidelines for the implementation of quality programmes in the most optimal way.Practical implicationsIn applying theories on self-efficacy, motivation, empowerment, and quality training, the authors posit that existing efficacy and quality self-efficacy are crucial for quality implementation efforts to overcome organisational barriers and lead to effective teamwork and performance success.Social implicationsThe authors postulate that deciding factors for organisational success originate from employees themselves as existing efficacies. Even though employees can foster quality self-efficacy through the implementation of quality improvement initiatives, existing self-efficacy, and organisation barriers will be moderating forces on eventual effectiveness of quality self-efficacy, teamwork, and organisational performance.Originality/valueThe model and related propositions, linking self- and collective efficacies to quality training, teamwork, and quality performance, offered in this paper will prove useful for organisational decision-makers in selecting quality programmes for implementation in organisation to achieve performance success.

Exploring Relationships Between CARE Program Fidelity, Quality, Participant Responsiveness, and Uptake of Mindful Practices

As the demand for mindfulness-based interventions grows, so does the need to monitor implementation to ensure effective delivery. Research has shown that the fidelity and quality of program implementation can impact intervention outcomes. This study reports on the development and use of implementation monitoring measures for the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional development program. Three facilitator-focused observer-rated measures of fidelity and quality of intervention delivery and three participant-focused measures that examined responsiveness and attendance to the program were used. Data were evaluated from six intervention implementations including 166 teachers from 36 schools in New York; 80% of participants provided follow-up data on engagement in mindful practices. We report on regression analyses that examined relationships between implementation monitoring measures and follow-up teacher outcomes related to uptake and sustainment of mindful awareness practices. Results indicated significant positive relationships with an alternative measure of adherence focused on completion of participant objectives and facilitation quality with follow-up teacher reports of continued practice (mindfulness practices used weekly, length of practices, extent that practices helped with stress). Further, participants’ perceived usefulness of the material demonstrated a strong positive relationship with length of practice and whether practices helped to reduce stress. Finally, interactions were found between attendance and adherence, and between facilitation quality and participant knowledge on practice outcomes. We explore the way these measures were used to support program delivery and facilitator training, and discuss the utility of an alternative measure of adherence focused on completion of participant learning objectives.

A framework for improving the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in vocational rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation for people with severe mental illnesses has reached a critical stage in its development of evidence-based practices. A recent meta-analysis has suggested that good program quality measured by fidelity scales is necessary but not sufficient to achieve good employment outcomes. It is likely therefore that there are other aspects of program implementation quality that are not addressed by the current scales.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify new dimensions of program quality potentially applicable to improving the effectiveness of evidence-based vocational rehabilitation.METHODS: A review and synthesis of the theoretical and empirical literature in the broader science of psycho-social program implementation was conducted to identify the core dimensions which could be applied to evidence-based vocational rehabilitation.RESULTS: Twenty reviews and four single studies identified the common dimensions of a generic implementation framework. Empirical findings from eight of these, and 19 additional papers built a conceptual framework for improving evidence-based practices in vocational rehabilitation. The resulting framework consists of nine dimensions of implementation quality and twenty-three contextual factors.CONCLUSIONS: This conceptual framework will assist program funders, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to consider a wider range of program influences to advance the science and practice of vocational rehabilitation for people with severe mental illness.

Marathon Kids UK: study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of a school-based running programme

IntroductionSchools are promising settings for physical activity promotion; however, they are complex and adaptive systems that can influence the quality of programme implementation. This paper presents an evaluation of a...

Evaluating the Quality of Mindfulness Instruction Delivered in School Settings: Development and Validation of a Teacher Quality Observational Rating Scale

As interest increases in mindfulness in education programs for youth, there is a need to develop reliable measures of the quality of program implementation. This paper describes the development and psychometric properties of a measure that can be used to assess and monitor quality of implementation of mindfulness programs/curricula in typical classroom or out-of-school settings. The Teaching Mindfulness in Education Observation Scale (TMEOS) is a 28-item instrument that integrates qualitative and quantitative aspects of mindfulness instruction. Items focus on procedural adherence as well as aspects of implementation that reflect embodiment during instructional delivery (e.g., alignment with the attitudinal foundations of mindfulness). Reliability and validity data were examined and indicated that the four major scoring domains and key features showed adequate inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. We conclude that observational assessment of multiple dimension of implementation quality, including adherence and process-oriented aspects of implementation such as embodiment, can be reliably used to assess implementation quality of mindfulness programs in education settings. However, adequate preparation and training are critical. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The impact of quality programs on family businesses performance

The role of quality programs is one of the most important aspects that family businesses should take into consideration. This requires from companies to define its quality programs, and find out which are they're most important element relating quality in order to improve it. The point of this study is to analyse the effect of the implementation of quality programs on family businesses. This is done by analysing the productivity and the financial performance by analysing the impact that implementation of quality program has. The research in conducted in 46 family businesses in the Republic of Macedonia who use different quality programs. From the empirical result we can conclude that the implementation of quality programs had a very high impact on the increase on the productivity and in the increase of the financial performance of family businesses.

Worldwide Implementation of Radiology Quality and Safety Programs

Worldwide Implementation of Radiology Quality and Safety Programs