THE USE OF STANDARDIZED GUIDELINES IN EVALUATING HEALTH EDUCATION SERVICE ORGANISATIONS: AN EXAMPLE OF OYO STATE HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT

Abstract

The focus of this study is on the determination of the administrative and organizational status of the Oyo State Health Education Unit. To this end the study has a two-fold purpose: To draw up a set of organizational standards with selected indicators of achievement; Using the organizational standards as instrument to determine the extent to which the Oyo State Health Education Service Unit has satisfied the terms of the instrument. With this purpose in mind the following objectives were drawn up for the study: To review relevant literature for the purpose of drawing up standards; To state relevant standards with their indicators; To establish evaluative criteria for the indicators; To use the standards with their indicators as an instrument for the assessment of the organizational status of the Oyo State Health Education Services. Based on the findings to draw conclusions which can serve as guidelines for improving health education service in Oyo State. This study can, however, be described as a “system assessment” or an “operations analysis” in that it is limited to an assessment of the unit’s organizational and administrative set-up as at 1979 as opposed to an evaluation of specific health education programmes carried out by the unit. To achieve the stated objectives the following methods and procedures were followed: Establishment of terms of reference in accordance with the purpose of the study; Establishment of organizational standards from empirical literature; Selection of indicators for standard attainment. Collection of data by the administration of three tools, viz, the questionnaire, observation, and documentation. The oral interview was the principal tool while the other tools were utilized mainly for purpose of validating and complementing data and information gathered during the oral interview. Respondents comprised key officials and Unit’s staff all in the Ministry of Health, local government health staff and some practicing professional health educators. Data analysis. Findings showed that the new policy of free medical services and increased emphasis on preventive Medicine have stimulated government’s interest in health education. A financial boost of #100,000 was allocated to health education services for the financial year, 1980. The identified problems of the Unit include the perennial shortage of professional staff, lack of qualified leadership, the isolation of the Unit from the Ministry of Health secretariat, and the low placement of the Unit in the administrative and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health. The developed evaluation instrument has helped to reappraise the organizational status of the health education Unit and the performance of its staff. The evaluative exercise also afforded health administrators and planners the opportunity to identify the needs of the health education unit. Among the needs identified are skilled manpower, stated policy on health education, adequate funding and an advisory body. Suggestions include the identification and utilisation of potential and actual resources in the State and the elevation of the status of the Unit to that of a major division in the Ministry of Health. A much needed projection for this study is the subjection of the evaluation instrument developed from the study to scientific validity and reliability tests.