Process evaluation is used to assess whether a project is on track, and offers an opportunity to learn if a project should continue as planned or if adjustments should be made. Process evaluation is most useful when it is conducted throughout the course of a project. Process measures should answer the following questions, which are adapted from the Integrated Health Promotion Resource Kit:
- Are all planned activities being implemented?
- Are all materials and components of the program of good quality and useful?
- Is the program reaching the target audience or interest group?
- Are participants satisfied with the program?
Need help identifying the right process measures?
The process measures included in this document are not exhaustive or all-encompassing, and some measures may not work for a project. Please reach out to the SNAP-Ed evaluation team with an evaluation request form for help finding measures for a specific project.
Access to Healthy Foods Process Measures
Working in a school?
- Document the presence of a school wellness committee.
- Number of members serving on wellness committee.
- Number of meetings the wellness committee holds each year.
- Policies/changes implemented by school wellness committee and what they support.
- Number of students participating in school meals.
- Number of working water access points throughout school.
- Number of vending machines/food purchasing points besides cafeteria throughout school.
- Number of school staff trained on nutrition/wellness.
- Short survey of teachers/educators about different wellness activities used in the classroom.
- If you’re doing a food tasting or demo, enter these as Indirect Activities in PEARS. See p. 31-32 in the Evaluation Guidance (PDF) for more directions
Working in a food bank or mobile pantry?
- Track food bank participation (number of clients accessing the food bank each month).
- If possible, track repeat clients vs. unique.
- If you’re doing a food tasting or demo, enter these as Indirect Activities in PEARS. See p. 31-32 in the Evaluation Guidance (PDF) for more directions.
Working in retail?
- Count of users by counting people accessing retail outlet in set time periods.
- Number of daily/weekly/monthly transactions (this is sensitive information – depending on the relationship with the store owner, it may or may not be available).
- Installation or purchase of new equipment, such as shelving, signage, refrigeration, etc.
- Count new environmental changes or policies implemented and what they support.
- List of community members involved in projects and planning (if applicable).
- If you’re doing a food tasting or demo, enter these as Indirect Activities in PEARS. See p. 31-32 in the Evaluation Guidance for more directions. Working on improved transit or physical access to healthy food outlets? See ‘Physical Activity’ PSE Process Evaluation Measures.
Working on breastfeeding friendly environments?
- List of members involved in projects and planning, and their roles.
- Count new policies or environmental changes to support breastfeeding.
- Installation or purchase of new equipment to support breastfeeding.
- Number of lactation rooms (or establishment of lactation rooms/dedicated spaces to breastfeed/pump).
Working in childcare?
- Number of participants based on childcare attendance logs.
- Number of working water access points throughout childcare center (or availability of water at a home childcare site).
- Number of trainings held on nutrition or wellness policies and attendance of those trainings.
- Number of staff trained on nutrition/wellness.
- Short survey of staff about different wellness activities used.
- Installation or purchase of new equipment to support consumption of healthy foods and beverages.
- Count new policies or environmental changes implemented and what they support