scholarly journals Making the urban environment around schools healthier, developing an initial programme theory: an early realist process evaluation of the London superzones pilot

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Catt ◽  
Steven L Senior
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Programme Theory ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Agency Action ◽  
Roll Out

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDMore than four out of five people in England live in an urban area so the urban environment is an important determinant of health and an important contributor to health inequalities. This is especially true for children, for whom the impacts of their local environment may have lifelong effects. To improve the health effects of the urban environment the London Devolution Partnership piloted multi-agency partnerships focusing on 400m ‘superzones’ around schools in deprived communities. The intention is for local partners to work together to make the environment within the superzone healthier.METHODSA realist process evaluation of 13 pilot sites. We used data from programme documents, a rapid literature search, and interviews with lead officers for the 13 local authorities that took part in the programme. Qualitative analysis was used to identify combinations of context, mechanisms, and outcomes (CMOs) that affected the creation of a local partnership and plan.RESULTSAll but one of the 13 pilot sites established a superzone and multi-agency action plan. We identified 12 CMOs that affect the process of creating a school superzone. We present a logic model that describes how these CMOs combine to make up an initial programme theory of superzones. Key aspects of this programme theory include the importance of local partners’ priorities, leadership and support from across the local authority, and the flexibility of the model itself.CONCLUSIONThe superzones model is an emerging framework for local place-based partnership working to improve the urban environment. However, the success of the model is likely to depend on local context. The evidence presented here could guide the further roll out of the model, and support those local authorities that want to create superzones.

Athlete health and safety at large sport events: the development of consensus-driven guidelines

2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102771
Author(s):  
Margo Mountjoy ◽  
Jane Moran ◽  
Hosny Ahmed ◽  
Stephane Bermon ◽  
Xavier Bigard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
International Federation ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Medical Risk ◽  
Sport Events

All sport events have inherent injury and illness risks for participants. Healthcare services for sport events should be planned and delivered to mitigate these risks which is the ethical responsibility of all sport event organisers. The objective of this paper was to develop consensus-driven guidelines describing the basic standards of services necessary to protect athlete health and safety during large sporting events. By using the Knowledge Translation Scheme Framework, a gap in International Federation healthcare programming for sport events was identified. Event healthcare content areas were determined through a narrative review of the scientific literature. Content experts were systematically identified. Following a literature search, an iterative consensus process was undertaken. The outcome document was written by the knowledge translation expert writing group, with the assistance of a focus group consisting of a cohort of International Federation Medical Chairpersons. Athletes were recruited to review and provide comment. The Healthcare Guidelines for International Federation Events document was developed including content-related to (i) pre-event planning (eg, sport medical risk assessment, public health requirements, environmental considerations), (ii) event safety (eg, venue medical services, emergency action plan, emergency transport, safety and security) and (iii) additional considerations (eg, event health research, spectator medical services). We developed a generic standardised template guide to facilitate the planning and delivery of medical services at international sport events. The organisers of medical services should adapt, evaluate and modify this guide to meet the sport-specific local context.

scholarly journals Developing a whole-school mental health and wellbeing intervention through pragmatic formative process evaluation: a case-study of innovative local practice within The School Health Research network

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Gobat ◽  
Hannah Littlecott ◽  
Andy Williams ◽  
Kirsten McEwan ◽  
Helen Stanton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Programme Theory ◽  
Student Mental Health ◽  
Local Practice ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Whole School

Abstract Background The evidence-base for whole school approaches aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing remains limited. This may be due to a focus on developing and evaluating de-novo, research-led interventions, while neglecting the potential of local, contextually-relevant innovation that has demonstrated acceptability and feasibility. This study reports a novel approach to modelling and refining the programme theory of a whole-school restorative approach, alongside plans to scale up through a national educational infrastructure in order to support robust scientific evaluation. Methods A pragmatic formative process evaluation was conducted of a routinized whole-school restorative approach aimed at improving student mental health and wellbeing in Wales. Results The study reports the six phases of the pragmatic formative process evaluation. These are: 1) identification of innovative local practice; 2) scoping review of evidence-base to identify potential programme theory; outcomes; and contextual characteristics that influence implementation; 3) establishment of a Transdisciplinary Action Research (TDAR) group; 4) co-production and confirmation of an initial programme theory with stakeholders; 5) planning to optimise intervention delivery in local contexts; and 6) planning for feasibility and outcome evaluation. The phases of this model may be iterative and not necessarily sequential. Conclusions Formative, pragmatic process evaluations can support researchers, policy-makers and practitioners in developing robust scientific evidence-bases for acceptable and feasible local innovations that do not already have a clear evidence base. The case of a whole-school restorative approach provides a case example of how such an evaluation may be undertaken.

scholarly journals How, why and under what circumstances does a quality improvement collaborative build knowledge and skills in clinicians working with people with dementia? A realist informed process evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e001147
Author(s):  
Lenore de la Perrelle ◽  
Monica Cations ◽  
Gaery Barbery ◽  
Gorjana Radisic ◽  
Billingsley Kaambwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Quality Improvement Collaborative ◽  
Programme Theory ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
People With Dementia

In increasingly constrained health and aged care services, strategies are needed to improve quality and translate evidence into practice. In dementia care, recent failures in quality and safety have led the WHO to prioritise the translation of known evidence into practice. While quality improvement collaboratives have been widely used in healthcare, there are few examples in dementia care.We describe a recent quality improvement collaborative to improve dementia care across Australia and assess the implementation outcomes of acceptability and feasibility of this strategy to translate known evidence into practice. A realist-informed process evaluation was used to analyse how, why and under what circumstances a quality improvement collaborative built knowledge and skills in clinicians working in dementia care.This realist-informed process evaluation developed, tested and refined the programme theory of a quality improvement collaborative. Data were collected pre-intervention and post-intervention using surveys and interviews with participants (n=28). A combined inductive and deductive data analysis process integrated three frameworks to examine the context and mechanisms of knowledge and skill building in participant clinicians.A refined program theory showed how and why clinicians built knowledge and skills in quality improvement in dementia care. Six mechanisms were identified: motivation, accountability, identity, collective learning, credibility and reflective practice. These mechanisms, in combination, operated to overcome constraints, role boundaries and pessimism about improved practice in dementia care.A quality improvement collaborative designed for clinicians in different contexts and roles was acceptable and feasible in building knowledge, skills and confidence of clinicians to improve dementia care. Supportive reflective practice and a credible, flexible and collaborative process optimised quality improvement knowledge and skills in clinicians working with people with dementia.Trial registration numberACTRN12618000268246.

scholarly journals The visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 01044
Author(s):  
Vera A. Akristiniy ◽  
Elena A. Dikova
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Analysis ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Visual Landscape ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Typological Structure ◽  
The City ◽  
Information Database

The article is devoted to one of the types of urban planning studies - the visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment for the purposes of providing pre-design and design studies in terms of preserving the historical urban environment and the implementation of the reconstructional resource of the area. In the article formed and systematized the stages and methods of conducting the visual-landscape analysis taking into account the influence of high-rise buildings on objects of cultural heritage and valuable historical buildings of the city. Practical application of the visual-landscape analysis provides an opportunity to assess the influence of hypothetical location of high-rise buildings on the perception of a historically developed environment and optimal building parameters. The contents of the main stages in the conduct of the visual - landscape analysis and their key aspects, concerning the construction of predicted zones of visibility of the significant historically valuable urban development objects and hypothetically planned of the high-rise buildings are revealed. The obtained data are oriented to the successive development of the planning and typological structure of the city territory and preservation of the compositional influence of valuable fragments of the historical environment in the structure of the urban landscape. On their basis, an information database is formed to determine the permissible urban development parameters of the high-rise buildings for the preservation of the compositional integrity of the urban area.

scholarly journals Brottsoffer i indikatorland – Öppna jämförelser inom socialtjänstens brottsofferstödjande arbete

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotta Agevall Gross ◽  
Verner Denvall ◽  
Cecilia Kjellgren ◽  
Mikael Skillmark
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Programme Theory ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
National Board ◽  
New Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Victim Support ◽  
Support Work

Crime victims in Indicatorland – Open comparisons in the social services’ work with victim supportSince the 90s there have been extensive changes in the public sector, such as rationalization and increasing demands for documentation and review. The changes have also affected the social services’ victim support work that has increasingly been subject to various forms of regulation, such as requirements for monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance. This article aims to examine one of the monitoring systems applied in the victim support work: the instrument of open comparisons. This article is based on an exploratory study of the local organization of crime prevention in two municipalities and analyses how the processes of open comparisons are organized at local, regional and central levels. The empirical data consists of documents such as legal sources and handbooks from e.g. the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, as well as documents obtained locally in the two municipalities. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with professionals working on different organizational levels. Analytically the study has been inspired by programme theory, which made it possible to concentrate on clarifying the operational idea in which open comparisons are based and capturing the consequences in the two cases. The study shows that open comparisons have been implemented without support from existing research. However, strong normative support for open comparisons exists within governmental agencies and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. They are included as one of many elements of New Public Management and result in changes in the victim support work. In contrast to present visions, the performance is not affected to any significant extent. In contrast, a comprehensive administration is created, where employees of municipalities are supposed to collect data, register information and analyse the results generated by the open comparisons.

Model and Infrastructure for Communications in Context-Aware Services

2011 ◽  
pp. 472-486
Author(s):  
Cristina Rodriguez-Sanchez ◽  
Susana Borromeo ◽  
Juan Hernandez-Tamames
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Communications ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Context Aware ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ambient Intelligent ◽  
New Type

The appearance of concepts such as “Ambient Intelligent”, “Ubiquitous Computing” and “Context-Awareness” is causing the development of a new type of services called “Context-Aware Services” that in turn may affect users of mobile communications. This technology revolution is a a complex process because of the heterogeneity of contents, devices, objects, technologies, resources and users that can coexist at the same local environment. The novel approach of our work is the development of a ”Local Infrastructure” in order to provide intelligent, transparent and adaptable services to the user as well as to solve the problem of local context control. Two contributions will be presented: conceptual model for developing a local infrastructure and an architecture design to control the service offered by the local infrastructure. This infrastructure proposed consists of an intelligent device network to link the personal portable device with the contextual services. The device design is modular, flexible, scalable, adaptable and reconfigurable remotely in order to tolerate new demanding services whenever are needed. Finally, the result suggests that we will be able to develop a wide range of new and useful applications, not conceived at origin.

scholarly journals Air pollution at human scales in an urban environment: Impact of local environment and vehicles on particle number concentrations

2019 ◽  
Vol 688 ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika von Schneidemesser ◽  
Kristina Steinmar ◽  
Elizabeth C. Weatherhead ◽  
Boris Bonn ◽  
Holger Gerwig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Environment Impact

scholarly journals Do Italian Companies Manage Work-Related Stress Effectively? A Process Evaluation in Implementing the INAIL Methodology

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Di Tecco ◽  
Matteo Ronchetti ◽  
Monica Ghelli ◽  
Simone Russo ◽  
Benedetta Persechino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Work Related Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Intervention Process ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Preliminary Phase

Studies on Intervention Process Evaluation are attracting growing attention in the literature on interventions linked to stress and the wellbeing of workers. There is evidence that some elements relating to the process and content of an intervention may have a decisive role in implementing it by facilitating or hindering the effectiveness of the results. This study aimed to provide a process evaluation on interventions to assess and manage risks related to work-related stress using a methodological path offered by INAIL. The final sample is composed of 124 companies participating to an interview on aspects relating to each phase of the INAIL methodological path put in place to implement the intervention. INAIL methodology has been defined as useful in the process of assessing and managing the risks related to work-related stress. Some factors related to the process (e.g., implementation of a preliminary phase, workers’ involvement, and use of external consultants) showed a role in significant differences that emerged in the levels of risk, particularly in relation to findings from the preliminary assessment. Main findings provide information on the key aspects of process and content that are useful in implementing an intervention for assessing and managing risks related to work-related stress.

scholarly journals Emerging schooling landscapes in England: How primary system leaders are responding to new school groupings

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Simkins ◽  
John Coldron ◽  
Megan Crawford ◽  
Bronwen Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Primary System ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
New School ◽  
Local Education ◽  
System Leaders ◽  
Key Aspects

In England the balance of responsibilities between national and local government for the governance of education is changing. Relationships between schools are shifting and new structures, groups and alliances are being created in response to national policy. The article is part of a project to understand how the new local education landscapes are emerging. Primary schools are relatively reluctant to embrace key aspects of national policy. We analysed interviews with primary system leaders in three contrasting local authorities to find out how they were responding, and why, and the nature of the groups they wanted to join, create or cooperate with. We identify concerns, interests and motivations that conflict with key aspects of national policy. In the process, we supplement earlier contributions as to how school groupings might usefully be categorised.

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