Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Within a Statewide Support System to Prevent Adolescent Substance Abuse

To prevent youth substance abuse, a state prevention system aims to support implementation of best practices statewide. A critical component is the prevention support system; that is, the network of people and organizations that build capacity within communities to implement prevention activities. This study describes the Kansas Prevention Network (KPN), the prevention support system within Kansas. It examines how KPN uses monitoring and evaluation to guide support for implementation of prevention activities. From 2009 to 2011, support organizations implemented nearly 4,000 activities to build capacity of local coalitions to better implement interventions. Activities focused primarily on building capacity for community-based processes, such as assessment and planning, and for dissemination of information. This report describes innovative approaches to documenting and monitoring the statewide effort as well as structured approaches for using the data to guide decision making and technical assistance.