The PREP Multi-Component Evaluation is ACF’s major effort to learn from the first generation of PREP programs (i.e. those programs funded roughly from 2010 to 2015). The Evaluation is divided into three studies.
The first component of the project, the Design and Implementation Study, focuses on how State PREP programs are designed and implemented. States must decide how to distribute grant funds to local sub-awardees, what program models to authorize, and how to support implementation. Understanding the range of decisions made and how implementation unfolds can contribute to stronger future program design for pregnancy prevention and other programs. Information on findings from the Design and Implementation Study may be found under PREP Program Design and Implementation.
The second component, the Performance Analysis Study, measures and reports on program performance across PREP grantees. All PREP grantees are required to submit standard information on areas like program delivery, participant characteristics, and fidelity to program models. These measures will be used to monitor program performance and identify areas for program improvement. Information related to program design and implementation may be found under PREP Program Design and Implementation; information related to program populations may be found under Youth Served by PREP Programming.
The third component, the Impact and In-Depth Implementation Study, is examining the impacts and implementation of a small set of PREP-funded programs. In four sites, the evaluation will provide rigorous estimates of program effectiveness on key outcomes, such as rates of sexual initiation and abstinence, contraceptive use, and teen pregnancy. The evaluation will also include detailed assessments of program delivery. Information on how these programs were designed and implemented may be found under PREP Program Design and Implementation; information related to program impacts may be found under PREP Program Impacts.
Further information on the study may be found on the PREP Evaluation website .