The best magazine
Discussion
In this initiative, national organizations supported local and state health departments in implementing evidence-based interventions by providing education and training, facilitating partnerships, and fostering sustainability. To maximize the effect of the overall CPPW program, the skill sets of specific national organizations were matched with the specific needs of communities. Thus, every community that could be directly supported by a national organization was matched. Given this, there were no prospective community control groups. Nevertheless, in a short time, most matched community tobacco use and obesity prevention objectives were fully accomplished. Successful accomplishment of an objective occurred when community awardees achieved their matched objectives with national organizations in accordance with the timelines for completion for the funding period. Supportive documentation was provided by the awardee that indicated the policy, systems, or environmental change identified in the objective. The qualitative examples provide a snapshot of the substantial policy, systems, and environmental change achieved through these public–private partnerships, both locally and nationally.
In some cases, community awardees did not reach or serve all of the people or settings intended as written in the objective for the funding period, thus only partially accomplishing the objective. For example, 1 objective was stated as follows: "By March 2012, 75% of children in licensed childcare centers in the County will be covered by policies that require 60 minutes of daily physical activity and provide healthy snacks (baseline of 54%)." At the conclusion of the award period, the awardee determined that 72% of children in licensed child care centers were covered, and therefore the objective was marked as partially successful. Although the outcome objective was not met fully, a legitimate case can be made that these are notable achievements as well.
This initiative demonstrated 2 major benefits of public–private partnerships in support of community-based prevention efforts. First, national organizations can accelerate local community action by linking communities to existing national partnerships, acting as facilitators of regional or local partnerships, cultivating community leaders, and creating peer learning experiences among communities. The ability to provide leadership through convening partners and ensuring collaboration is an important role for national organizations. Second, national organizations support sustainability efforts of communities by developing tools and resources such as curricula and trainings that can be used by communities now and in the future. These organizations can also link communities to local champions and experts in specific areas so that long-lasting relationships can be formed.
Some communities matched with national organizations in this initiative were more likely to fully achieve their objectives, yielding 2 important lessons. One key lesson learned that can increase the effectiveness of similar partnerships in the future is to engage national organizations in supporting community prevention efforts during the planning or early implementation phase. By assessing the needs of the community and determining community readiness at the outset, national organizations are more likely to help communities develop achievable goals and implement an action plan for these goals. A second lesson learned is to more closely align technical assistance options with individual community goals. This includes the development of resources that take into account local laws and policies so that the likelihood of implementation is enhanced.
Through this initiative, expert national nonprofit organizations in tobacco use control and obesity prevention supported policy, systems, and environmental changes at the community level by providing training and education in foundational skills, convening partnerships, and supporting sustainability. Additional public–private partnerships may be warranted to address the nation's tobacco and obesity epidemics, the major preventable drivers of chronic disease.
Source: ...