Step 5: Create a clear, concise purpose statement

Initially, your evaluation purpose statement can be general, such as: "the purpose of this evaluation is to measure the impact of the pedestrian safety initiative."

Your purpose statement should have evolved to include the following elements:

• A specific reference to your population and subpopulations of interest;
• A connection to the partnership’s vision and mission;
• Relevant formative, process, impact, and/or outcome evaluation components; and
• Uses of the evaluation findings by priority audiences.

Consider the range of factors or conditions affecting pedestrian safety in the population of interest, your priority factors and conditions, and "low hanging fruit" or factors and conditions that can be more readily addressed by your partnership, including:

• Partnership strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats;
• Organizing and advocacy activities;
• Changes in policies, practices, and environments affecting pedestrian safety;
• Educational and promotional efforts increasing pedestrian safety knowledge and skills in the population of interest; and
• Health behaviors, health outcomes, and related social, economic, and environmental outcomes.

To increase health equity, pay particular attention to how health disparities, health inequities, and social determinants of health may affect these factors and conditions.

---

Work with partners to obtain buy-in for the evaluation purpose across multiple sectors and disciplines (e.g., public health, transportation, planning, law enforcement, education, academia).

Update or refine the evaluation purpose after following the steps in subsequent sections, adding new partners, or adapting the intervention.

For instance, in Section 2, specifying your intervention goals and objectives as well as your associated intervention strategies and activities can help to refine the evaluation purpose statement.

---

Next: Continue to Step 6