Tools for evaluating practices
The evaluation of drug demand reduction interventions is a key topic for policy-makers who seek orientation towards an evidence-based and rational ways of decision making and resource allocation.
Guidelines and manuals for evaluating practices
Evaluating an intervention, project or programme involves systematically collecting, analysing and interpreting information on how the intervention operates and on the effects it might have. Evaluation is a crucial factor in determining drug demand-reduction policy. Decision-makers want to know 'what works', and the fact that many programmes are not evaluated is detrimental to the collection of objective, reliable and comparative information.
To help improve the scientific evaluation of demand-reduction activities and the quality of the information gathered by the Centre, the EMCDDA has published several guidelines and manuals for the evaluation of drug demand reduction interventions.
Prevention
Guidelines for the evaluation of drug prevention
The Guidelines for the evaluation of drug prevention provide detailed, step-by-step advice to programme-planners and evaluators on how to assess the different stages of drug-prevention interventions.
The guidelines consist of three main elements:
- the core guidelines – a checklist-like questionnaire aimed at experienced practitioners;
- explanations about each item, introductions to each chapter and examples from a wide range of contexts illustrating how to use the guidelines for those with less experience; and
- a glossary explaining the terminology used in the guidelines, as well as references to specific theories and methods.
The Guidelines for the evaluation of drug prevention were published as the first in a new series of EMCDDA Manuals.
Guidelines for the evaluation of outreach work
Policy-makers and practitioners around the world acknowledge the importance of outreach work in the drug field, but the fact that it is a good idea does not mean that every project is of the same standard. Clients, policy-makers and project staff need ways of assessing whether projects are fulfilling their aims and objectives. The Guidelines for the evaluation of outreach work aim to help outreach projects to: understand their aims and objectives; understand and value their activity; improve that activity; and show themselves and others their worth.
Treatment
Workbooks on Evaluation of Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder Treatment
The EMCDDA has collaborated with WHO and UNDCP on the production of eight 'Workbooks on Evaluation of Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder Treatment'. These workbooks cover eight different types of evaluation spanning from needs assessment over process evaluation to economic evaluation. The aim of the workbooks is to educate and train decision-makers, programme planners, staff and others about the evaluation of drug treatment services. Using the workbooks are thus a way of facilitating the work for these groups and for enhancing their capacity to carry out evaluation activities.
Click here for workbooks.
Guidelines for the evaluation of treatment in the field of problem drug use
The main objective of the guidelines is to provide a European audience with basic information on the options, elements and procedures of drug-related treatment evaluation. The target readership includes professionals working in treatment services for substance use and dependence, administrators and officials in social and health authorities, researchers dealing with treatment of substance dependence, and those who professionally or politically may have an interest in evidence from treatment evaluation.
Download the publication in PDF format here.
Scientific Monograph on evaluating the treatment of drug abuse in the EU
This project started in March 1997 in Athens when the EMCDDA and the University Mental Health Research Institute of Athens organised a workshop on the evaluation of drug-abuse treatment. Experts from various countries including representatives from the WHO-PSA and the COST-A6 working group as well as the Evaluation of Action Against Drug Abuse in Europe participated in the workshop. The workshop proceedings are available in the form of EMCDDA Scientific Monograph No. 3, 'Evaluating the Treatment of Drug Abuse in the European Union'.
An executive summary is available online — to obtain the full publication, click here (email: please replace '[a]' with '@' before sending).
Harm reduction
Guidelines for the evaluation of outreach work
Policy-makers and practitioners around the world acknowledge the importance of outreach work in the drug field, but the fact that it is a good idea does not mean that every project is of the same standard. Clients, policy-makers and project staff need ways of assessing whether projects are fulfilling their aims and objectives. The Guidelines for the evaluation of outreach work aim to help outreach projects to: understand their aims and objectives; understand and value their activity; improve that activity; and show themselves and others their worth.
European evaluation conferences
In its efforts to promote best evaluation practice, the EMCDDA organises regular European conferences on the evaluation of drug prevention.
'First European conference on the evaluation of drug prevention'
This conference was held at the EMCDDA in Lisbon in March 1997. Attended by over 80 key experts and opinion leaders working in the field of drug prevention in Europe, the meeting convinced the participants and the EMCDDA of the importance of evaluating drug prevention and of the role the Centre should play as a catalyst and information provider in this area.
The papers and reports from the conference workshops are available as:
Scientific Monograph No. 2, Evaluating drug prevention in the European Union.
'Second European conference on the evaluation of drug prevention'
This conferences was organised jointly by the EMCDDA and the European Commission and held in Strasbourg from 2 to 4 December 1999. The conference assessed developments in evaluation practice in Europe, demonstrating that evaluation is possible even under difficult circumstances. It presented practical experiences of using European evaluation guidelines, evaluation instruments and the EMCDDA's Exchange on Drug Demand Reduction Action (EDDRA) information system, and in particular of the adaptability of these tools to specific cultural requirements. It also demonstrated how evaluation theory and knowledge can be implemented in daily practice and that qualitative data and proper needs assessment are as valuable for good evaluation practice as are quantitative results.
The papers and reports from the conference workshops are available as:
Scientific Monograph No. 5, Evaluation: a key tool for improving drug prevention.