Recruiting and Hiring Epidemiologists As Program Evaluators

Key Objectives:
1. To discuss tips and strategies for recruiting and selecting epidemiologists to fill hybrid epidemiologist/evaluator roles.

Brief Summary:
Federal public health grants increasingly champion the value of program evaluation by specifying rigorous performance measures, requiring a certain percentage of funds to be allocated to evaluation, and encouraging states to hire or contract with evaluators. Epidemiologists are called upon to assist with program evaluation in ways such as developing data sources for performance measures or developing evaluation plans. In some states, epidemiologists carry out extensive evaluation functions and may serve as the primary program evaluator. Recruitment notices based on traditional epidemiologist job descriptions may fail to attract applicants who have a strong interest in and fit with the evaluation component of the work, and candidate selection processes may not adequately address the KSAs epidemiologists need to be effective evaluators. States are currently working to broaden job descriptions and recruitment notices to enhance their applicant pools and attract the best candidates. The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss how states are carrying out recruitment strategies for "hybrid" applicants with cross-cutting interests and skill sets. Utah will share its experience and lessons learned. Participants will have an opportunity to describe other experiences and exchange suggestions and tips.