Developing the effectiveness of an intersectoral food policy coalition through formative evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Community Nutrition

Background:

• Intersectoral collaboration is crucial for addressing complex public health issues like nutrition.
• Municipal governments face challenges in coordinating diverse stakeholders for policy development.
• Initial attempts at food policy initiatives may falter due to structural and engagement deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an intersectoral food policy committee within a local government structure.
• To identify barriers to effective collaboration and goal achievement within the committee.
• To demonstrate the utility of theory-informed formative evaluation in enhancing health promotion practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative in-depth interviews with committee members (n=21).
• Quantitative assessment of committee processes.
• Four-year time series analysis of media releases, decision-making, and municipal actions.
• Theory-informed formative evaluation approach.

Main Results:

• Identified insufficient member engagement mechanisms and role conflicts.
• Revealed a lack of confidence in the committee's capacity and outcome efficacy.
• Post-evaluation reforms in project structure, goal realization, and incentive management led to measurable impact.
• Improvements observed in media coverage, decision-making, and related government actions.

Conclusions:

• Formative evaluation is essential for identifying and rectifying issues in intersectoral health initiatives.
• Effective committee functioning requires robust engagement strategies, clear role definition, and confidence-building measures.
• Structured interventions based on evaluation findings can significantly enhance the impact of health promotion policies.