Using Success Stories to Promote Program Success

2008 PRAMS Meeting December 8, 2008

Ann Webb Price, Ph.D.Community Evaluation Solutions, Inc.

PRESENTATION #1

SIDS: An important Public Health Issue

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than one year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation

More than 4,500 infants die suddenly each year in the United States

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SIDS: An important Public Health Issue

SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants between one to 12 months old

Most SIDS deaths occur when a baby is between 2 and 4 months of age

The diagnosis of SIDS is not commonly used after 1 year of age.

SIDS: An important Public Health Issue

There is some evidence that suggests that some babies are born with brain abnormalities that may cause SIDS

These abnormalities are in the portion of the brain involved in control of breathing and waking during sleep

Brain abnormalities may stem from prenatal exposure to a toxic substance, or lack of a vital compound in the prenatal environment, such as sufficient oxygen

Preventing SIDS

Positioning an infant for sleep has been identified as a modifiable behavior that can decrease the risk for SIDS

Consistently placing a healthy baby on its back to sleep for naps and at night has been found to reduce the risk

1994-2002 Vital Records, Office of Health Information and Policy Prepared by Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Section.

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Leading Causes of Post-Neonatal Mortality, Georgia, 1994-2001

Infections Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period Congenital Malformation SIDS Injuries

SIDS in GeorgiaSIDS in Georgia

1994-2002 Vital Records, Office of Health Information and Policy Prepared by Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Section.

SIDS Mortality Rates, by Race, Georgia, 1994 - 2002

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SIDS in Georgia

PRESENTATION #2

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What Cause Would You Join?

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Objectives

To define Success Stories and the rational for using them

To describe how the Success Story fits into an overall evaluation plan

To describe types and formats of Success Stories

To learn how to construct your own Success Stories

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www.cdc.gov/oralhealth

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Which method is more memorable?

89% of Evil Witches hate Princes

71% of Princes have been turned to toads

There are only 43 Princes left in our state

We need to stop Evil Witches from turning Princes into toads

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You want your story to be more than tomorrow’s “training” paper

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What is a Success Story ?

A simple description of a program’s

Progress

Achievements

Lessons learned

A request for action

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What it is Not

Surveillance report

Complete evaluation picture

Completely un-biased

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Why you would want one

Visibility and credibility

Accountability and evaluation

Advocacy and promotion

Satisfy information requests and educate decision makers

Garner more support and resources

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More Uses for Success Stories Publicize early successes

Provide a “face” to numbers

Show movement in program progress when planned outcomes will not be realized until the distant future

Make the target population aware of your program

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Ignite Passion for Your Cause

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A Full Toolbox

Overall picture to the personal level

Meaning and depth

Triangulation of data

Used at any point in program progress

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Types of Success Stories

We can talk about stories based on the developmental phase of the program: Upstream

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Types of Success Stories

We can talk about stories based on the developmental phase of the program: Upstream

Midstream

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Types of Success Stories

We can talk about stories based on the developmental phase of the program: Upstream

Midstream

Downstream

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Choosing the Correct Format

Elevator Story

Paragraph Spotlight

One-pager

Two-page

Full Brief

Published Article

The Elevator Story

Exercise

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Moment of Opportunity

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Your Story

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10 Seconds

Your Elevator Story

Constructing the Story

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Before You Begin

Before you get started ask: Who is your audience?

What is the goal of the story?

Will the story be used for a chance meeting or a formal request for information?

Is the story timely?

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Who is the Audience? Major business industries in your state

Civic organizations

Policymakers Federal elected officials; Federal management; State

elected officials; State appointed officials; State management; Local officials

Schools or Universities

Media sources

Foundations

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Write for your Reader not Yourself

Always show benefit

Memorable fact/truth

Emotional hook

Paint a picture

Sense of immediacy

The ASK

**All from the perspective of your audience

Framing the Message for Policymakers

Clear - without jargon and acronyms

Connect – use an image or analogy they can relate to

Compelling – make the audience want to act

Concise – simple; three or four bullet points

Peggy Yen, CDD

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What Policy Makers Read

53% skim

35% “never get to”

27% read for detail

(Sorian & Baugh 2002)

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What Policy Makers Read

Relevancy

Ease of reading

65% read printed material

27% read electronic material

(Sorian & Baugh 2002)

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What Policy Makers Read

48% Professional association

21% State group

21% Foundation

19% Government agency

14% Think tanks

14% Health care associations

6% Universities

(Sorian & Baugh 2002)

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Sticky Ideas

Simplicity

Unexpectedness

Concreteness

Credibility

Emotions

Stories

(Heath & Heath, 2007)

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YOUR Story

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A Plan for Story Collection

Starts with a well-developed plan A data collection tool or process for collecting both

formal and informal stories

Identify staff responsible for collecting, organizing, analyzing and writing the stories

A communication plan for disseminating the stories

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Identification Methods Examples Site visit/Trip report

Annual reports and partner publications

Sharing at annual meetings/coalition meetings

Presentations

Formal solicitations

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Low Cost Ways to Elicit Success Stories

Three Step Interview

Data Dialogue

Graffiti

Concept Formation

Cooperative Rank Order

(King & Stevahn, 2003)

Graffiti Exercise

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Get Their Attention

Catchy Bylines Exercise

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The Success Story Template

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Typical Outline

Title with a VERB

Define the Problem - Issue

Program Description

Impact Statement and the ASK

Contact Information

Resources

www.chronicdisease.org

Submit stories

Get writing assistance

Easily accessible website for policy makers and advocates to find stories

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Resources

WISEWOMAN http//www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/

Story Telling as Best Practice www.agoodmanonline.com

Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/blockgrant/pdf/

PHaW.pdf

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Comments and Questions

How to Reach Us

Ann Webb Price, Ph.D.

CES, Inc.

3015 Salisbury Dr.

Alpharetta, GA 30004

770.367.0942

aprice@communityevaluationsolutions.com

www.communityevaluationsolutions.com

René Lavinghouze, MA

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4470 Buford Hwy., F-10

Atlanta, GA 30341

770.488.5905

shl3@cdc.gov

www.cdc.gov/oralhealth