A model for evaluating the activities of a coalition-based policy action group: the case of Hermosa Vida

Scholars and clinicians are increasingly recognizing the complexity of social contexts of health and the need for multifunctioning approaches to health care problems including community- and policy-level strategies. Barriers to change in health care policy can sometimes be attributed to the actions of advocacy coalitions who operate from a limited view of "policy change." Advocates have a tendency to pressure stakeholders to mandate laws as a final resolution of a movement, often leading to failure or, worse, stigmatizing of issues. A more inclusive focus on health policy change as an ongoing process increases the efficacy of advocacy and outcomes measurement. This article presents a tool for policy action that coalition members developed through the implementation of a 3-year grant to improve the safety net for preventing childhood obesity. Scholars and policy makers developed the Policy Coalition Evaluation Tool with the intent to create a model to guide and measure efforts and outcomes of a local community-based policy coalition. The authors suggest using community-based participatory research approaches for developing a coalition-specific Policy Coalition Evaluation Tool to increase the effectiveness of advocacy groups and the documentation of coalition activities over time.