CDC Program Evaluator Job Description

Program evaluation is a systematic form of applied research that uses social research procedures to investigate the effect of social intervention programs, including those in the area of public health. The federal Centers for Disease Control is one of the leading public health agencies in the United States. It strives to protect the health of the American public through programs that prevent and control the incidence of disease. Program evaluators help further the agency's mission by identifying effective programs that promote quality of life.

Identification

• Under the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) organization, public health advisers and public health analysts have the responsibility for a range of tasks, including program evaluation. Program areas across the CDC employ advisers and analysts to evaluate CDC programs, such as efforts to improve childhood immunization rates or reduce the spread of HIV in poor neighborhoods.

Function

• The CDC's Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health describes program evaluation as a necessary activity for using science to guide decision making in public health. Program evaluators in the CDC examine the design, implementation and outcomes of public health programs to identify effective programs and improve the operation of public health activities. Evaluators also may conduct cost-benefit analyses of CDC programs. A cost-benefit analysis weighs, in dollar terms, the costs of a program against its benefits. This type of analysis often causes controversy because of the difficulty of measuring the benefits and outcomes of public health programs, such as lower disease rates or reduced infant mortality, in monetary terms. Program-related costs, meanwhile, are readily available.

Features

• Program evaluators in the CDC have the responsibility of conducting multiple research studies on public health programs and their associated costs. Evaluators must plan and carry out studies that use appropriate research methods. For example, a strong evaluation of a program to boost child immunization rates in poor neighborhoods would compare participants in the program with a control group of non-participants, comparing such factors as general health or missed school days because of illness. After data collection and analysis, evaluators prepare comprehensive reports that outline the research purpose, specify research questions, detail the evaluation findings and offer recommendations for program improvements.

Qualifications

• Employment as a program evaluation specialist in the CDC requires at least a bachelor's degree, although some positions may require some graduate-level study. An evaluator's studies should include coursework in statistics and research methodologies. In addition, a program evaluator should be able to gather and analyze data, use analytical methods to draw conclusions, and prepare reports and presentations that communicate complex research findings in clear language.

Benefits

• The CDC's evaluation framework states that evaluation separates initiatives that promote and improve public health and well-being from those that fail to do so. Program evaluators thus help the CDC develop effective strategies for improving public health. In addition, comparing costs and benefits provides insight into whether the benefits of a public health program justify the expenditures it will require. For example, an evaluator might assess a vaccination program and the extent to which it served the intended population. The evaluator can offer recommendations for improvement if, for example, the program did not reach certain segments of the targeted population.

Compensation

• CDC program evaluators are federal employees and thus, part of the federal Civil Service system. Salaries for evaluators depend on their level within the system, and the level at which an evaluator begins depends on his education and experience. An evaluator with a bachelor's degree may start at level 5 of the Civil Service salary schedule, while someone with a graduate degree may enter at levels 7, 9 or 11, in the case of an evaluator with a PhD. Annual salaries for CDC program evaluators can range from $27,000 to $35,000 at level 5 to as high as $49,000 to more than $60,000 at level 11, according to the federal Office of Personnel Management.