Evaluating Your Health Promotion Program for the Return on Allocated Resources (ROAR) Factor

Abstract

This article briefly describes how to structure a program evaluation to embrace the ROAR Factor. ROAR stands for return on allocated resources, which implies that we need to measure ALL the allocated resources, not just direct out-of-pocket costs, and ALL the returns, not just reductions in medical costs or similar objective outcomes. The ROAR Factor also means focusing programs on what makes people feel great, what makes them want to roar, and measuring how well we are doing in helping people feel great.