This Project Management Guide is designed for schools and organizations taking on a new prevention project, such as implementing a new evidence-based program. The worksheet was developed as a resource for the eCourse Project Management.
Type: Document
Guidebook for Fidelity and Adaptation of Evidence-Based Programs
This guidebook provides practical guidance on implementing evidence-based programs (EBPs) with fidelity while making thoughtful, planned adaptations to fit local contexts without undermining core components. It explains why maintaining fidelity to the original program design matters for achieving expected outcomes and offers strategies for balancing strict adherence with necessary, documented adjustments. The resource is intended to help implementation teams select, adapt, and monitor EBPs in ways that preserve effectiveness and strengthen community relevance.
What is Fidelity?
This brief resource explains implementation fidelity as delivering an evidence-based program as intended, emphasizing that fidelity is critical for achieving expected outcomes and accurately interpreting results. It outlines key fidelity components—such as adherence, dosage, and quality of delivery—and notes that weak fidelity can reduce effectiveness or undermine impact. The document also highlights the importance of monitoring fidelity and making thoughtful, well-documented adaptations that preserve a program’s core elements.
Sustainability Planning Checklist
This checklist is designed to assist program implementers during planning for sustainability. It includes categories such as: budget planning, cost efficiency, revenue streams, data, stakeholder engagement, staff retention, and program participation. This tool can help providers and coalitions think through the various facets of sustainability and develop a plan with practical action steps for tackling sustainability barriers.
Coalition Check-Up Resource 4 – Action Planning Progress Tool
Coalitions play a crucial role in fostering robust community development. Four tools were developed using the Coalition Check-Up to support the well-being of your coalition and its activities to ensure success! Coalition Check-Up Resource 4 – Action Planning Progress Tool: Need a tool to help you track implementation progress of your action plan? And find solutions to barriers you encounter along the way? Then, this is your resource!
Coalition Check-Up Resource 3 – Action Planning for a Strength Worksheets
Coalitions play a crucial role in fostering robust community development. Four tools were developed using the Coalition Check-Up to support the well-being of your coalition and its activities to ensure success! Coalition Check-Up Resource 3 – Action Planning for a Strength Worksheets: Is something about your coalition going really well? Do you wonder how to give attention to that success and sustain the focus or practice going forward? Then, this is your resource!
Coalition Check-Up Resource 2 – Action Planning Worksheets
Coalitions play a crucial role in fostering robust community development. Four tools were developed using the Coalition Check-Up to support the well-being of your coalition and its activities to ensure success! Coalition Check-Up Resource 2 – Action Planning Worksheets: Need a worksheet to help you make decisions about next steps and itemize them? Then, this is your resource!
Focus on Prevention: A SAMHSA Community Planning Manual
The Focus on Prevention manual (SAMHSA Publication No SMA 10‑4120), first published in August 2020, provides communities with a structured framework to design, implement, and evaluate substance use prevention initiatives. Covering the full prevention continuum, it offers practical guidance on conducting community needs assessments, identifying and partnering with stakeholders, developing targeted strategies, marketing prevention efforts, and setting up monitoring and evaluation systems, including a sample timeline of tasks. Intended for non‑profit and faith‑based organizations, this resource equips local coalitions with the tools needed to tailor culturally appropriate and evidence‑informed prevention programs. By emphasizing community collaboration, strategic planning, and measurable outcomes, the manual supports sustainable and effective substance use prevention at the grassroots level.
Developing a Workforce to Support Prevention Efforts and Strengthen Communities: Why and How to Do It
This resource outlines key strategies for developing a skilled prevention workforce, emphasizing the importance of clear competencies, structured training pathways, supportive workplace environments, and ongoing professional development to equip practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to implement evidence-based prevention effectively. It describes practical actions—such as defining role-specific competencies, using competency-based training and coaching, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and building organizational systems that support retention and career advancement—to strengthen workforce capacity and sustainability in prevention practice.
Coalitions Part 3: Evaluating success and effectiveness
This resource explains how to evaluate the functioning and impact of community coalitions by identifying meaningful evaluation questions, selecting appropriate indicators and data collection methods, and using findings to improve coalition processes and outcomes. It covers both process evaluation (such as member participation, activities completed, and partnership functioning) and outcome evaluation (such as changes in community conditions or targeted behaviors), with an emphasis on using evaluation results for continuous learning, accountability, and strategic planning.