Process monitoring in intervention research: A ‘dashboard’ with six dimensions

Abstract

The increased interest in process evaluation as part of intervention research is leading to a much stronger understanding of the reasons behind inconsistent intervention outcomes. Variables such as employee participation, line manager attitudes and actions, pre-intervention working conditions and the quality of pre-intervention risk assessment are among the many factors that have been identified as being linked to intervention outcomes. In this research, process and context evaluation data are usually collected at the same time as intervention outcome data. Those delivering and receiving interventions in organizations may also benefit from access to this information about the quality of intervention processes and the impact of contexts before and during intervention activities. Such information could then be used to anticipate and manage implementation problems or to shape modifications to the intervention activities to protect and enhance their impact. In this chapter, the feasibility of measuring process and context concurrent to intervention activities will be examined. I will discuss how the assessment of some potentially important process and contextual factors can be better utilized as formative evaluation data (i.e. a ‘dashboard’) to monitor intervention activities and shape adaptive interventions. The type of data collection required (and its timing and frequency) and the ways in which process monitoring data could be used to manage intervention activities are also discussed.