Goldie MacDonald

Health Scientist, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Goldie MacDonald is a Health Scientist at the Center for Global Health (CGH) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Most recently, she co-led design and implementation of a multisite evaluation of Field Epidemiology Training Programs in 10 countries. The American Evaluation Association (AEA) selected this work as an exemplar of internal evaluation practice earlier this year. She authored two evaluation checklists: Criteria for Selection of High-Performing Indicators: A Checklist to Inform Monitoring and Evaluation and Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health: A Checklist of Steps and Standards. Currently, she teaches program evaluation for the CDC and partner organizations at regional training events held annually in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

Webinar: 2 for 1: The Retrospective Pretest Method for Evaluating Training

Posted on October 13, 2015 by , , in Webinars (, )

Presenter(s): Goldie MacDonald, Lori Wingate, Miranda Lee
Date(s): December 9, 2015
Time: 1-2:30 p.m. EDT
Recording: https://youtu.be/cQ25jh5rrvk

The retrospective pretest method for evaluating professional development activities requires participants to rate their knowledge and abilities before and after a training activity. Participants answer pre- and post-test questions at the end of the training only, rather than at the beginning and the end. This method is an efficient and informative option to evaluate training outcomes and quality and provides a sound and consistent measure of participant growth that can be used to compare training activities at a single event or over time. Adult learners tend to be more accepting of this assessment method than traditional knowledge tests, and the threat of response-shift bias associated with the traditional pre-post method is reduced.

Lori Wingate, director of EvaluATE, will provide an overview of the method and discuss design, analysis, and use. Goldie MacDonald, Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will share her experience using this method to evaluate and improve workshops she led this year in the U.S. and overseas.

Webinar participants will learn how to:

  1. Design retrospective pretest questions.
  2. Analyze and report data gathered using this method.
  3. Use the evaluation data to demonstrate accountability for resources dedicated to training, improve the training, and plan for future training or its evaluation.

Resources:
Slides
Handout

Webinar: Checklists for Improving Evaluation Practice

Posted on May 11, 2015 by , , in Webinars ()

Presenter(s): Emma Perk, Goldie MacDonald, Lori Wingate
Date(s): June 10, 2015
Time: 1-1:45 p.m. EDT
Recording: http://bit.ly/Webinar-Check

The World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist has increased patient safety and even saved lives. Checklists have been used in aviation since the 1930s with immeasurable contributions to flight safety. Checklists are used in a wide array of professions to minimize error and enhance quality. What can checklists do for your evaluation practice? In this 45-minute webinar, Lori Wingate will provide an overview of the form and function of checklists, highlight evaluation checklists developed by some of the field’s leading practitioners, and share basic information on how to use these checklists to improve practice. Goldie MacDonald, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will share her experience with checklist development and use in the evaluation of public health programs. Webinar participants will learn how to access and use a range of checklists designed to enhance day-to-day practice.

This session is an extended version of the American Evaluation Association coffee break webinar (bit.ly/aea-webinars) held on April 23, 2015. The same great content—and more—is being made available to the public via EvaluATE’s free webinar series.

Resources:
Handout
Slides
Webinar Coordination Checklist
The Evaluation Center Checklists

Webinar: Questions, Data, Conclusions, and Recommendations: Connecting the Dots for an Effective Evaluation

Posted on November 20, 2013 by , , in Webinars (, , )

Presenter(s): Goldie MacDonald, Krystin Martens, Lori Wingate
Date(s): November 20, 2013
Recording: https://vimeo.com/80070735

This webinar is intended for evaluators who are launching new evaluations or seeking to strengthen the overall design of ongoing studies.  We’ll address how to formulate good questions to establish a strong foundation for an evaluation and hone in on appropriate data collection methods and sources that align with those questions. We’ll provide practical guidance for transforming data into meaningful conclusions about a project’s progress, quality, and impact. Finally, we will share strategies and tools for generating practical, actionable recommendations for project improvement based on evidence.  Participants will learn to purposefully connect these distinct aspects of an evaluation into a cohesive package that adds value to projects. In addition to Lori Wingate, Director of EvaluATE, this webinar will feature Goldie MacDonald as a discussant. Dr. MacDonald is a Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and author of “Criteria for Selection of High-Performing Indicators: A Checklist to Inform Monitoring and Evaluation.”

Resources:
Slide PDF
Handout PDF
Criteria for Selection of High-Performing Indicators: A Checklist to Inform Monitoring and Evaluation.