Using Technical Assistance to Strengthen Tobacco Control Capacity: Evaluation Findings from the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium

Abstract

Immediately following the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 and the corresponding growth of new and existing tobacco control programs, it became clear that tobacco prevention and control organizations required technical assistance to help them carry out their missions. The Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) was established at the Rollins School of Public Health in 2001 to provide tailored technical assistance services to meet the needs of the expanded workforce and to build tobacco control capacity. To understand whether and how TTAC's technical assistance enhanced capacity, TTAC conducted an evaluation of its services through semi-structured telephone interviews with the primary contacts and one to two additional informants for each of 48 technical assistance services provided over an 18-month period. The majority of respondents reported they had increased knowledge and skills in tobacco control, strengthened leadership skills, developed or strengthened partnerships with other tobacco control organizations, and changed the way they practice tobacco control following the assistance. More modest improvements were noted in the areas of increased organizational support and policy change at the local or state level.

Effectiveness of capacity building interventions relevant to public health practice: a systematic review

“…Two papers qualitatively evaluated technical assistance (TA), with both reporting individual-level knowledge and skill, leadership, and confidence [ 41 , 42 ]. Both papers conceptualized TA as personalized support, including face to face meetings, for tobacco-control system staff in Canada, and the United States.…”

“…Both papers conceptualized TA as personalized support, including face to face meetings, for tobacco-control system staff in Canada, and the United States. Findings for actual changes in practice, and for organizational support, were mixed [ 41 , 42 ]. Following are more detailed descriptions of the findings from both papers, related to those five outcomes.…”

“…In both settings, TA clients reported knowledge gains relevant to their content area, including the development of new skills such as enhanced communication and presentation skills, overcoming barriers at council meetings, and media and communication [ 41 , 42 ].…”

“…Both Kegler and Lambracki reported increased confidence in one’s own work, with Lambracki also reporting commitment to take on new challenges and overcome barriers [ 41 , 42 ]. For example, Kegler reports that increased confidence came from knowing there was direction for the work and that work was not simply reactionary [ 41 ].…”

Index of tobacco control sustainability (ITCS): a tool to measure the sustainability of national tobacco control programmes

“…Many governments have developed national programmes and a dedicated unit to lead and coordinate tobacco control, and the number and range of civil society organisations working on tobacco control, and their activity, has increased substantially5 6 7. The technical and management capacity of this workforce has also developed 5 6 8 9…”