A train-the-trainer knowledge transfer program’s evaluation for an ecological understanding of the implementation process
Despite an increased use of psychosocial evidence-based programs (Fraser, 2004; Gira, Kessler and Poertner, 2004; Howard, McMillen and Pollio, 2003), these programs are still not the most sought after (Ringwalt et al. 2002, Wandersman and Florin 2003). Indeed, the programs transfer and implementation is a complex process and the development of interventions proven to be effective is but one step toward the improvement of general populations health and well-being (Durlak and DuPre, 2008). That is why the CLIPP wanted the implementation of its Agir en milieu de garde program to be evaluated so that it could both appreciate to what extent the program had taken root and determine what factors had influenced it. The goal of this train-the-trainer program is to prevent the abuse of young children. To do this, it trains agents in the childcare coordinating offices in matters related to research on child abuse so that these agents can, in turn, transfer that knowledge to the people in charge of family day care centers in their own community. Except for a brief review of the study’s first part for the purpose of assessing the level of implementation and the influence of a several organizational, individual and program specific factors, this article focuses on the second part of the study. In this second part, a series of semi-structured interviews with 49 multiplying agents helps the reader understand how the interaction between organizational, individual, program specific and community factors has impacted the implementation. The second part of the study’s results demonstrates, as noted Durlak and DuPre (2008) that for an implementation process to be effective, numerous factors must interact.