Sabin, in their previous work identified that immunisation professionals play a vital role in delivering one of the world’s most powerful health interventions: vaccines. Yet, they are faced with a number of challenges which are summarised in three broad categories; 1) isolation (not having channels to communicate with peers working in other locations), 2) burn out and fatigue which leads to high turnover and 3) complex environments with ambiguous targets and little resources to achieve them. The Boost Community Platform launched in January 2020, is a global community where immunisation professionals connect, learn and lead. Its mission is to foster a global community that enables immunisation professionals to connect with peers and experts, learn skills that build capacity and advance careers, and lead immunisation programs in challenging contexts. Its vision is a world in which every immunisation professional is empowered to advance in their careers and accelerate change in their communities. Sabin role in the program is that of an adviser, a convener, and a catalyst of systemic change. It works at the country and global level to strengthen policy, secure financing, and build political will for country ownership of immunisation.

The purpose of the annual evaluation is to evaluate the  extent which Boost has realised behavioural changes (outcomes) to its targeted audience as envisioned in its theory of change. Behavioural changes has been translated to mean the extent which Boost has managed to connect and elevate the voices of immunisation professionals, facilitated navigation and learning among immunization professionals, and the impact of Boost partnering with others.  In addition,  the evaluation will identify any gaps in the implementation. The evaluation being a formative assessment, key recommendations will be provided to guide Boost implementation onwards. The evaluation focuses on the Boost implementation between January 2020 to December 2020.

By design, the evaluation is formative in nature. Formative in sense that it aims at drawing learning to inform Boost implementation moving forward and for accountability to the Boost funders. In lieu of this, the findings of the evaluation will guide Sabin and its partners to identify links between the problem, interventions and outcomes or understand if the program is realizing its Theory of Change. The recommendation will also guide Sabin and its partners make necessary adjustments so as to maximise the success of the program.

The findings also contributes to a body of knowledge repositories on the effectiveness of similar models implemented world-wide; models that are aligned to the Boost vision and thinking – for example the Advocacy Accelerator, ANDE, Digital Frontiers Institute, +Acumen among others.

The evaluation team takes an intentional approach of re-constructing the Kirkpatrick learning evaluation model (1996), four steps for evaluating learning; Effort towards  aligning the model to the Boost proposed evaluative themes. The team takes an appreciation of the model as one that provides techniques for appraising capacity building interventions such as Boost. The four steps (reaction, learning, behaviour and results) have been re-constructed into eights steps (Planned Action and Collaboration, Information and Opportunity Access, Knowledge Acquisition, Self Confidence and Satisfaction, Knowledge Implementation – at individual and/or collective leadership, organisation behavioural outcomes and immunisation ecosystem impact.

Planned Action and Collaboration: Intends to assess Boost online and blended offerings. What was planned to take place? What took place? What did not take place and why? How effective was the delivery method? Which partnerships were formed? How were the partners selected? How did partners participate in delivering Boost offerings?  What has been the impact of the partnership on Boost?

 Information and Opportunity Access (IOA): Aims at assessing Boost ability to connect the immunisation professionals to their peers and provide offerings that are relevant and useful to inform their work. Specifically, the aim will be to understand audience knowledge about Boost including their motivation, participation of the immunisation professionals, access to curated  information/knowledge products, relevancy of the content accessed, challenges in accessing the right information or connecting with peers, and professionals sense of worthiness (value) in the community.

 Knowledge Acquisition (KA): Aims at assessing the extent which immunisation professionals self-report to have acquired knowledge and skills based on the Boost offerings. Specifically, the evaluation at this level focuses on the extent which immunisation professionals self-report to have acquired knowledge/skills on the Boost platform to solve problems and effective management; inform positive changes in their organisations, engage on immunisation discussion in the countries (national and sub-national); and engage on immunisation discussion at the regional/global levels.

Self-confidence and satisfaction (SCS): It is deemed that in order for immunisation professionals to apply the acquired knowledge and skills on the Boost platform, they need to be confident and satisfied with what has been acquired. In lieu of this, the evaluation aims at assessing immunisation professionals satisfaction and confidence level in relation to applying the acquired knowledge and skills at three levels – individual profession/career, advancing positive changes at organisation level, engage on immunisation discussions in their countries (national and sub-national) and engage on immunisation discussions at regional and global levels.

Individual and/or Collective Leadership (ICL): Assess immunisation professionals implementation (adapt/adopt/apply) of the acquired knowledge and skills on the Boost platform to advance their individual career/profession in immunisation.

Organisation Behavioural Outcomes (OBO): Assess immunisation professionals implementation (adapt/adopt/apply) of the acquired knowledge and skills on the Boost platform, in driving positive changes at organisation level.

Immunisation Ecosystem Impact (IEI): Assess immunisation professionals implementation (adapt/adopt/apply) of the acquired knowledge and skills on the Boost platform, to inform immunisation discussions/interventions at the country level (national and sub-national), regional and global levels.

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