Essentials of Planning and Evaluation for Public Health by Kay Perrin, PhD, MPH is an important addition to our Essential Public Health series. It provides the ideal text for an undergraduate course in program planning and evaluation, which is an increasingly important part of public health education at all levels.
The Recommended Critical Component Elements of an Undergraduate Major in Public Health expect that all undergraduate public health majors, including those in health education, will “know the fundamental features of project implementation and evaluation.”1 These “critical component elements” are now being used by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) as part of the criteria for accreditation of undergraduate public health majors. The Essentials of Planning and Evaluation for Public Health will aid in accomplishing this objective.
Dr. Perrin’s book includes many important features that will appeal to a wide range of students. Dr. Perrin provides an accessible, engaging, and active participation text. As she describes in the Preface, it is organized in a step-by-step process that introduces undergraduates to all of the key elements of program planning and evaluation. The text makes extensive use of case studies for public health applications. Her treatment of quantitative methods is accessible, requiring only a minimum of mathematics. Overall, Dr. Perrin’s text is clear, easy to read, and has a personalized style of writing that makes learning both productive and enjoyable.
Dr. Perrin is widely recognized for developing new styles of teaching that engage students inside and outside the classroom. Her extensive and creative teaching experience is evident in every chapter of the text. Dr. Perrin brings to her writing extensive experience teaching and applying principles of program planning and evaluation. Her clinical and public health research background provides the perfect combination to understand the roles and goals of program planning and evaluation.
Finally, on a personal note, Kay Perrin was recently presented the Riegelman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Public Health from the Association of Schools of Public Health. I was delighted that she was chosen, especially knowing that I had nothing to do with the selection process. Dr. Perrin’s nominator wrote that she “continues to foster excitement about the field of public health in the undergraduate arena … and most importantly nurture future public health leaders through her unwavering commitment to undergraduate public health education.” I couldn’t agree more.
I’m delighted that Kay Perrin’s work is now a part of our Essential Public Health series. I’m confident that you will find it to be an important addition.
Richard Riegelman, MD, MPH, PhD
Editor, Essential Public Health series
1. Association of Schools of Public Health. Recommended Critical Component Elements of an Undergraduate Major in Public Health. Available at: http://www.asph.org/UserFiles/CCE_2012-08-03-FINAL.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2014.