Evaluation Interviews with Partners in Action, 2010

The Plan
The Washington State Nutrition & Physical Activity Plan (the Plan) provides a framework in which policymakers and stakeholders at the state, local, and institutional levels can work together to support and build environments that make it easier for Washington residents to choose healthy foods and to be physically active.

Partners
Stakeholders who sign up to be a “partner of the plan” (Partners) are pledging to engage in activities supportive of the Plan. Membership in Partners is a free benefit for everybody in Washington State. Benefits include: keeping up with nutrition and physical activity initiatives across the state and finding out about funding opportunities, resources, and events. Additionally, Partners can share stories about their nutrition and physical activity work with colleagues across the state. Partners’ communication occurs via the Partners in Action website and newsletter. The site is a collaborative effort of the Washington State Department of Health, the University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition and Partners throughout Washington.

Spring 2010 Interviews and Surveys
During April and May 2010 72 interviews and 41 online surveys were conducted with community leaders and decision makers across Washington State involved with Plan related activities. Participants included both current Partners and potential Partners. The goals of the interviews and surveys were to:

1. Collect Plan related activities and stories from communities across Washington.
2. Learn how to engage new Partners and better engage current Partners.
3. Determine how communities plan to continue to implement the Plan.

Results were used to inform the development of a communications plan and sustainability plan. The purpose of this document is to supplement these plans with a more detailed overview of the methodology and a comprehensive review of the results.

Key Findings Include:

 

• Plan-related activities are being implemented statewide. Specifically,

  57% of respondents are working to increase access to health promoting foods

  26% of respondents are working to reduce hunger and food insecurity in Washington State

  12% of respondents are working on initiatives to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their infants and toddlers

• Funding, tools, materials and resources, and decision maker buy-in are the top three things respondents reported needing to be able to implement new and existing policy and environmental initiatives related to nutrition and physical activity.

• Initiatives are being sustained through creative funding sources, fostering partnerships, sharing resources, and building community support.
• Respondents identified many of the resources on the Partners web site, including, tools kits, funding opportunities, and success stories from across the state, to be helpful.
• More work needs to be done to tell Washingtonians about the Plan and Partners.

Conclusions Respondents reported working on a variety of Plan-related policy and environmental activities across all six objectives. Not only are Washington communities implementing the Plan, they also intend to continue the work they are currently doing and many are making plans to take on new initiatives. Respondents also indicated that many of the activities and services of Partners and the Partners in Action website support their ability to implement the Plan.