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Introduction to rapid evaluations training course

This page provides information on our 'Introduction to rapid evaluations' training course.

Course summary

This course provides an introduction to a wide range of approaches used in the design and implementation of rapid evaluations. The course will combine short presentations with hands-on exercises. The participants will get the opportunity to work with real evaluation cases and design their own rapid evaluation. Participants who are planning a rapid study will be encouraged to use their own topic throughout the course. Short rapid research clinics will be available at the end of the course to discuss projects in detail (these will need to be pre-booked by participants).

Course aims

  1. Introduce participants to a wide range of rapid evaluation approaches
  2. Discuss the contributions and limitations of using rapid evaluations
  3. Improve skills in the design and implementation of rapid evaluations
  4. Improve skills in the dissemination and application of evaluation findings

Course content

  • Introduction to rapid evaluations-why use rapid approaches?
  • Brief history of rapid evaluations
  • The contributions and limitations of rapid evaluations-when are these approaches suitable?
  • Overview of rapid evaluation approaches-rapid evaluation methods (REM), rapid feedback evaluations (RFE), rapid cycle evaluations (RCE)
  • Step-by-step guide to designing and implementing rapid evaluations
  • The use of rapid research techniques during data collection and analysis
  • Dissemination and the translation of findings into changes in policy and practice

Pre-requisites

None

About the instructor

Dr Cecilia Vindrola
Dr Cecilia Vindrola is a medical anthropologist interested in applied health research and the development of rapid approaches to research. She works across four interdisciplinary teams, applying anthropological theories and methods to study and improve healthcare delivery in the UK and abroad. She is a researcher on the NIHR-funded Rapid Service Evaluation Team (RSET), a collaboration between UCL and the Nuffield Trust. She has written extensively on the use of rapid qualitative research and currently co-directs the Rapid Research, Evaluation and Appraisal Lab (RREAL) with Dr Ginger Johnson. She is the past Director and current training lead for the Qualitative Health Research Network (QHRN). Cecilia works as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Applied Health Research, UCL and Social Scientist at the NIAA Health Services Research Centre.