Advancing Prevention in Ontario, Canada

Summary

This paper describes and analyzes the impact of a utilization-focused evaluation of the Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (OPC). To achieve its primary goal of advancing primary prevention and health promotion programs in the province, the OPC provides information and consultation, networking, and educational services to people who request information pertaining to different facets of prevention (e.g., program planning, theory). An external evaluation of the OPC conducted in 1986-87 concluded with three major recommendations: (I) that the OPC required additional funding to maintain and expand its services; (2) that the OPC should provide more consultation to information requesters to assist them with program planning and development; and (3) that the OPC should encourage more systems-centered approaches to prevention. Two years after the evaluation was completed substantial progress has been made in actualizing all three recommendations. Specific indicators of change in the three areas are described, and reasons for these changes are analyzed and discussed. The importance of the context in which the evaluation was conducted is underscored in this report.