PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY
Program sustainability may be defined as the ability to continue a program (i.e., set of activities or services) beyond its initial implementation cycle or beyond the end of its initial funding period. A program's sustainability depends upon:
- availability of the resources (e.g., funding, qualified staff, facilities, etc.) needed to keep it running
- interest and ability of the target population and local community to continue to participate in and support the existence of the program
- the social and political climate, which can influence laws and policies governing whether or how the program can be implemented.
Because resources for youth sexual risk prevention programs are scarce and the agency and community climates in which they are implemented frequently shift, it is crucial that prevention practitioners and their agencies begin to plan for sustainability early on in the program planning process. It is also important to be able to react quickly and with flexibility to changing social, political, and financial conditions.
How can I get more information on funding opportunities and grant writing strategies?
Why is sustainability important to prevention programming?
Even the most successfully run, effective prevention program will have very limited impact on a community if it cannot be sustained over time. Every year a new cohort of youth will enter adolescence, and they need knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, and motivation to make healthy lifestyle choices.
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For questions about this information, contact Emily S. Holder (608) 267-9170
Last updated on 2/22/2008 8:00:33 AM
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