Readers may be familiar with some or all of the following terms and concepts. They are defined here for clarity in a harm reduction context.

Terms

• Monitoring – the facts and data about your program and participants’ health.
• Quality Assurance – having standards for, and mechanisms to achieve, the best possible services for participants.
• Quality Control – making sure you meet your quality assurance goals with regard to providing services.
• Evaluation – making sure your services meet your goals and objectives.
• Qualitative Data – descriptive and conceptual findings collected by asking open-ended questions of both people and evidence that are then coded and analyzed.
• Quantitative Data – information that can be counted or measured collected by asking closed-ended questions of both people and evidence that are then analyzed.

Methods

• Needs Assessment – an assessment of the gaps between services provided and services needed. Conducting annual needs assessments are an important practice for harm reduction agencies and allows them to react quickly to a changing drug-use environment.
• Focus Groups– entail calling together a small to medium size group to have a facilitated discussion about a topic without leading questions or collecting much, if any, quantitative data. Focus groups are recorded and analyzed for themes and data.
• Surveys – questionnaires that may be self-administered online or in-person, or administered by staff. Surveys can consist of both quantitative and qualitative questions.
• Interviews – qualitative interviews consist of guided interviews asking open-ended questions about a topic(s) without leading questions or collecting quantitative data. Interviews are recorded and analyzed for themes and data.