Challenges and Opportunities for Participatory Evaluation of Local Public Health Efforts to Address Structural Racism and Advance Health Equity

• DOI: 10.35844/001c.118717
• Publication Date: 2024-07-29T15:10:06Z
• Authors: Tiffany N Ford; Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts; Sydney Edmond; Isabel Abrams; Aeysha Chaudhry; Patrick Daniels; Minyoung Do; Brian Edmiston; Sona Fokum; Candice Gary; Diana Ghebenei; Jeni Hebert-Beirne; Hodan Jibrell; John Jones; Maura Rose Kelleher; Jess Lynch; Abha Mahajan; Nicole Marcus; Eve Pinsker; Stephanie Salgado; Simone Taylor; Genese Turner; Nancy Valentin; Alisa Velonis; Benjamin A. Shaw
• Keywords: H; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Social Sciences

This report describes the process of conducting a participatory evaluation of a local public health department and community partners’ joint efforts to address structural racism and advance health equity in Chicago, Illinois. The participatory evaluation is guided by a multi-partner advisory group composed of academic researchers and research assistants at a local public university; leadership and frontline staff at the local public health department; and individuals employed through local community-based organizations. This report details three key action points in the participatory evaluation process, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that arise while evaluating health equity interventions aimed at institutional and structural change. Insights gleaned from this process can inform ongoing and future participatory evaluation efforts and contribute to the establishment of best practices for partnering across institutions to reshape systems and power relationships to advance health equity.