scholarly journals Examining local-level factors shaping school nutrition policy implementation in Ontario, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1290-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M Vine ◽  
Susan J Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Nutrition Policy ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Vice Principals ◽  
Local Agencies ◽  
The Cost

AbstractObjectiveIncreasing numbers of overweight and obese youth draw attention to the school as an important setting for targeted nutrition interventions, given that it is where they spend a majority of their waking time. The objective of the present study was to explore local-level factors shaping the implementation of a school nutrition policy.DesignIn-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in person or via the telephone (a maximum of 60 min). An interview guide was informed by the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework, research objectives and literature. Key themes centred on policy implementation, including facilitators and barriers (i.e. resources, capacity), user satisfaction (i.e. students) and communication strategies.SettingSecondary schools in Ontario, Canada.SubjectsTwenty-two participants from local agencies supporting school nutrition programming (n8) and secondary-school principals, vice principals and teachers (n14) from nine schools across three Ontario school boards.ResultsResults are organized according to environments outlined in the ANGELO framework. The cost of healthy food for sale, revenue loss (economic), proximity of schools to off-site food outlets (physical), the restrictive nature of policy, the role of key stakeholders (political), the role of stigma and school culture (sociocultural) act as local-level barriers to policy implementation.ConclusionsGaps in policy implementation include the high cost of food for sale and subsequent revenue generation, the close proximity of internal and external food environments, the need for consultation and communication between stakeholders, and strategies to reduce stigma and improve the school nutrition culture.

Alexander First Nations Parents’ Perceptions of a School Nutrition Policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Gillies ◽  
Anna Farmer ◽  
Katerina Maximova ◽  
Noreen D. Willows ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Nutrition Policy ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Promotion Strategy ◽  
Food Programs ◽  
Health Promotion Strategy ◽  
Survey Responses

Purpose: A school nutrition policy (SNP) is one promising school-based health promotion strategy to improve the food environments of First Nations children. The aim of this study was to explore First Nations parents’ perceptions of a SNP. Methods: A process evaluation of policy implementation was conducted using a mixed-methods design. Parents (n = 83) completed a 19-question survey to capture their perceptions of the policy. Survey responses informed questions in an 11-question semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts from interviews with parents (n = 10) were analyzed using content analysis to identify barriers and facilitators to policy implementation. Results: Parents were supportive of the SNP and the school’s food programs, which they perceived as helping to address community concerns related to nutrition. However, some parents opposed the restriction of unhealthy foods at school celebrations and fundraisers. In addition, despite being aware of the SNP, parents were unable to demonstrate an understanding of the SNP content. Finally, parents struggled to provide their children with healthy foods to bring to school due to lack of affordable and accessible food in the community. Conclusions: Although SNPs may be well-received in First Nations communities, their implementation must be supported by parent involvement and consideration of wider socioeconomic conditions.

First Nations students’ perceptions of school nutrition policy implementation: A mixed methods study

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 533-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Gillies ◽  
Anna Farmer ◽  
Katerina Maximova ◽  
Noreen D. Willows ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Nutrition Policy ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Perceptions Of School

scholarly journals Analysis of the Influence of Local Politics on Implementation SDGs 4 Policy for Quality Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 196-204
Author(s):  
Wilda Rasaili ◽  
Dafik Dafik ◽  
Rachmat Hidayat ◽  
Hadi Prayitno
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Quality Education ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
Public Meetings ◽  
A Value ◽  
Political Interests

SDGs-4, the quality education is one of the factors in achieving the goals of the SDGs. The problem is that the SDGs look ambitious in integrating local level policies that are responsive to political interests. The research used a mixed method of exploration, searching for interview data and questionnaires. The results showed that the implementation of the SDGs was strongly influenced by local democracy. The implementation of the promotion of SDGs requires strengthening local politics and democracy, including; the quality of the Pilkada, the role of the community, political parties, media control, and public meetings. The influence of local democracy on policy implementation is 51.5%. Policy implementation has a positive effect on the implementation of the SDGs with a value of 0.187. The influence of local democracy and policy implementation on the promotion of SDGs-4 is 64.2% and the remaining 35.8% is influenced by other factors.

scholarly journals "It's huge in First Nation culture for us, as a school, to be a role model": Facilitators and Barriers Affecting School Nutrition Policy Implementation in Alexander First Nation

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris Murray ◽  
Alexander Research Committee ◽  
Anna Farmer ◽  
Katerina Maximova ◽  
Noreen Willows
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Nutrition Policy ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Wild Game ◽  
Health Programming

This mixed-methods community-based participatory research generated knowledge of school staff perceptions of the facilitators of and barriers to implementation of a Canadian First Nation school’s healthy nutrition policy. Themes derived from seven qualitative staff interviews were integrated with quantitative data derived from 28 staff surveys. The Medicine Wheel was used to describe results, as it provided a non-hierarchical and relational way to categorize all components and stakeholders of nutrition policy implementation. Factors that facilitated policy implementation were associated with the school environment, including the nutritional quality of foods sold or offered at school, administrative support, and foundational health programming prior to policy development. Staff identified the school as a role model for community members and as a key facilitator of policy implementation (for example, in leading health initiatives, providing a place for nutritious food and physical activity opportunities, and acting as a health resource for all community members). Barriers included inconsistency between staff members in policy implementation, uncertainty about staff members’ role in policy implementation, and lack of school communication with parents regarding the policy. One of the informative barriers from a First Nation perspective was the perceived misalignment of traditional foods, such as bannock or wild game, served at First Nation cultural events with federally derived nutrition standards that emphasize a low-fat diet. Results suggest strengthening school nutrition policy implementation by increasing staff nutrition education and certainty of their roles as policy facilitators, advocates, and enforcers; improving communication with families; having supportive school health programming; and ensuring the school, community, and home environment all reinforce healthy eating.

Women Chiefs and Post War Reconstruction in Sierra Leone

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 19-39
Author(s):  
Lynda R. Day
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Culturally Based ◽  
Women's Equality ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Post War ◽  
Traditional Structures

This paper examines the role of women chiefs in post war reconstruction in Sierra Leone, particularly the connection between women chiefs with the movement for women’s equality and economic empowerment. Contrary to scholarship which views culturally based traditional structures, including chieftaincy, as counterproductive to progressive change, I argue that traditional women chiefs have contributed to the movement for gender justice and gender equity and could be key to shaping and promoting both an agenda and an ideology for women’s social and political advancement on a local level. The study is based on fieldwork conducted in Sierra Leone from 1982 to 2012 and includes semi-structured interviews with women chiefs and other key players before, during, and after the war, as well as sources such as newspaper articles, journal and book publications and archival materials.

scholarly journals Identifying opportunities to strengthen school food environments in the Pacific: a case study in Samoa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Reeve ◽  
Anne-Marie Thow ◽  
Colin Bell ◽  
Christina Soti-Ulberg ◽  
Gary Sacks
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Policy Science ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Food ◽  
Food Policies ◽  
School Food Policy

Abstract Background: Despite global recommendations to prioritise policies that create healthy environments within education institutions, the implementation of effective healthy school food policies has proved challenging for many countries. This study examined the experience of Samoa in introducing a stronger policy to improve the healthiness of school food environments. Our aim was to identify opportunities to strengthen healthy school food policy implementation in Samoa and other comparable contexts. Methods: We used a qualitative case study approach, underpinned by policy science theory. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 informants, coupled with analysis of relevant documents, to generate a detailed understanding of the relevant policy implementation processes in Samoa, and the perspectives and capacities of key implementation actors. Data collection and analysis were guided by the Health Policy Analysis Triangle supplemented by other policy theories relevant to policy process. Results: Samoa’s school food policy operationalizes international ‘best practice’ recommendations. We found health policymakers and leaders in Samoa to be strongly committed to improving school food environments. Despite this, there continued to be challenges in ensuring compliance with the school nutrition standards. Key issues that negatively impacted on the policy’s effectiveness were the lack of priority given to school food by stakeholders outside of health, the high prevalence of unhealthy food in the areas immediately surrounding schools, and the high degree of agency exercised by actors in and around the school. We noted several opportunities for policies to be effectively implemented and sustained. Respondents identified community level leaders as potentially pivotal stakeholders, particularly in a context where school governance draws heavily on community representation.Conclusions: Despite previous commitment to the issue, political and community leaders need to be re-engaged to identify the institutional and operational changes required to improve the implementation of healthy school food policies. Strong incentives for compliance and effective enforcement mechanisms are likely to be crucial to success.

Home buyouts: a tool for mitigation or recovery?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-510
Author(s):  
Sherri Brokopp Binder ◽  
Alex Greer ◽  
Elyse Zavar
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Harris County ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Fundamental Tension ◽  
Local Agencies

PurposeHome buyout programs are typically funded by the federal government and implemented by local agencies. How these agencies design and implement buyouts has considerable impacts on participating households and communities, making understanding the internal processes of implementing agencies a critical component of buyout research. This study addresses this issue by exploring the early design and implementation phases of a buyout program in Harris County, Texas, following Hurricane Harvey.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via semi-structured interviews with buyout staff and government stakeholders. Data were analyzed in two phases using grounded theory methodology and holistic coding.FindingsThere was considerable tension regarding the role of buyouts in mitigation and recovery. Participants conceptualized buyouts as mitigation programs, but recognized that residents, in contrast, viewed buyouts as a tool for household recovery.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adds to questions raised in the literature about the efficacy of buyouts and other relocation efforts implemented in response to disasters and global climate change. Future research should work to build systematic knowledge regarding design, implementation, and impacts of buyouts on affected households and communities.Practical implicationsTension in the purpose of buyouts may be the cause of consistent shortcomings in buyout implementation including attrition, checkerboarding, and transfer of risk. Funding, timing, and the scale of buyouts do not align with household recovery needs and priorities, limiting the mitigation potential of buyouts.Originality/valueThis study identifies a fundamental tension in the purpose of buyout programs that has yet to be discussed in the literature.

Corporatism from the Firm Perspective: Employers and Social Policy in Denmark and Britain

2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
CATHIE JO MARTIN
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Growth Opportunity ◽  
Active Labour ◽  
The Impact

This is an evaluation of the impact of corporatist and pluralist employers' associations on firms' programmatic participation in active labour-market and social policies in Denmark and Britain. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with randomly-selected companies, it explores whether employers' associations engage differently with their constituent firms in corporatist and pluralist settings, and whether corporatist countries have an advantage in implementing active social policies. Variations in type of employer organization are found to constitute a determinant of cross-national differences in business attitudes towards the welfare state. Membership in a Danish employers' association confers an entirely different set of effects from membership in a British group and associational membership is a significant positive determinant of firm participation in Denmark but not in Britain. Active social policy has been viewed as a growth opportunity in a new issue area by the Danish ‘peak’ employers' association and its sectoral members. Although this association is losing some control over collective bargaining, its constituent associations have developed other functions, such as creating deliberative forums for managers, especially at the local level. The research also highlights the role of the state in the renegotiation and survival of corporatist institutional arrangements.

scholarly journals Public perceptions of the cost of paramedic services in Saskatchewan, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyemi Ogunade ◽  
Florence Luhanga ◽  
Jacquie Messer-Lepage ◽  
Khan MD Rashed Al-Mamun
Keyword(s):  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Programs ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Canadian Health ◽  
Medical Emergencies ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

Introduction Despite the increasingly important role of paramedics in Canada’s healthcare system, the Canadian Health Act does not cover paramedic services. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the cost of paramedic services prevents many people in need from accessing this care. This article explores public perceptions of the cost of paramedic services in Saskatchewan, Canada. Methods Using a qualitative research design, we collected data from 56 participants in focus group sessions and semi-structured interviews designed to explore perceptions of paramedic services in Saskatchewan. Results The data indicated that participants perceived the cost of paramedic services to be too high, and that this perception may limit the use of paramedic services during medical emergencies. The data also suggested a lack of understanding of how paramedic service costs are calculated. Overall, participants expected the government to do more to subsidise these costs. Conclusion The results revealed a disconnect between public perceptions about the cost of paramedic services and the initiatives designed by the provincial government to alleviate these costs. They also highlight the need for better public education about and access to government programs designed to alleviate the cost of paramedic services.

scholarly journals The Convention to Combat Desertification and the Role of Innovative Policy-Making Discourses: The Case of Burkina Faso

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 107-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Bruyninckx
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
The Impact

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification is a mix of traditional regime elements with a set of innovations. These innovative elements can be interpreted as emanations of policy discourses that have been gaining in importance since the introduction and the fairly broad acceptance of sustainable development and Agenda 21 as guiding conceptual frameworks. In this article I first elaborate on three of those discourses: the participatory, the decentralization and the local knowledge discourses. In a second part, I will look at Burkina Faso as an example of UNCCD policy implementation at the national and the local level (Yatenga region). It will become clear that although changes are visible in policy-making dynamics, major difficulties and obstacles remain. The CCD undeniably has an impact at the national level of policy-making. It has provided support for decentralization, for more participatory processes of policy-making and for the inclusion of local knowledge in the policy process. At the more decentralized level the impact is less clear and more difficult to distinguish.

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