CPE Program Planning & Design 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A program is designed with a 'dose-response' assumption. Which planning element most directly tests this assumption?
- Tracking participant attendance and linking it to outcome levels (Correct answer)
- Surveying participant satisfaction at program end
- Conducting a post-program focus group
- Reviewing staff credentials
Correct answer: Tracking participant attendance and linking it to outcome levels
Dose-response is tested by correlating amount of exposure (attendance/sessions completed) with magnitude of outcome change across participants.
Question 2: In program design, 'theory of change' differs from a 'logic model' primarily because theory of change:
- Lists only program outputs
- Explains the causal mechanisms and assumptions underlying program pathways (Correct answer)
- Focuses exclusively on financial inputs
- Is used only for government-funded programs
Correct answer: Explains the causal mechanisms and assumptions underlying program pathways
A theory of change articulates the 'why'—the causal assumptions and mechanisms—while a logic model is a visual summary of the 'what' (inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes).
Question 3: A county health department plans a diabetes prevention program and wants to ensure sustainability beyond grant funding. Which planning strategy best addresses this?
- Maximizing program scale during the grant period
- Embedding program components into existing clinic workflows from the outset (Correct answer)
- Delaying sustainability planning until the final grant year
- Limiting the program to a pilot phase only
Correct answer: Embedding program components into existing clinic workflows from the outset
Integrating program elements into routine clinical operations from day one builds institutional ownership and reduces dependence on external funding.
Question 4: Which type of evaluation design is most appropriate when random assignment is not feasible and the program has already launched?
- Randomized controlled trial
- Pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest
- Quasi-experimental design with a matched comparison group (Correct answer)
- Purely qualitative case study
Correct answer: Quasi-experimental design with a matched comparison group
A quasi-experimental design using a matched comparison group provides stronger causal inference than a single-group design when random assignment is impossible.
Question 5: Program planners use 'backward mapping' primarily to:
- Document program history
- Start with desired outcomes and work backward to identify required activities and inputs (Correct answer)
- Assign blame when outcomes are not met
- Map geographic service areas
Correct answer: Start with desired outcomes and work backward to identify required activities and inputs
Backward mapping begins with the end goal and traces backward through outcomes, activities, and inputs to ensure alignment between resources and intended impact.
Question 6: A program serving immigrant families adds culturally adapted materials but does not change core intervention components. This is an example of:
- Core component drift
- Surface-level adaptation (Correct answer)
- Deep structural adaptation
- Program abandonment
Correct answer: Surface-level adaptation
Surface-level adaptation modifies language, visuals, and cultural references while preserving the evidence-based core components that drive outcomes.
Question 7: When developing a program budget during the planning phase, which item is most often underestimated by new program planners?
- Direct service staff salaries
- Indirect costs and administrative overhead (Correct answer)
- Participant incentive costs
- Office supply expenses
Correct answer: Indirect costs and administrative overhead
Indirect costs—facilities, administrative support, HR, and compliance functions—are frequently underestimated, leading to budget shortfalls during implementation.
CPE Program Planning & Design 3
A program is designed with a 'dose-response' assumption.
Which planning element most directly tests this assumption?