title: Facilitators and challenges to organizational capacity building in heart health promotion.
abstract: The authors describe the facilitators and challenges to a multi-sectoral initiative aiming at building organizational capacity for heart health promotion in Nova Scotia, Canada. The research process was guided by participatory action research. The study included 21 organizations from diverse sectors. Participant selection for the data collection was purposive. The authors collected data through organizational reflection logs and one-to-one semistructured interviews and used grounded theory techniques for the data analyses. Factors influencing organizational capacity for heart health promotion varied, depending on the project stage. Nonetheless, leadership, organizational readiness, congruence, research activities, technical supports, and partnerships were essential to capacity-building efforts. Approaches to organizational capacity building should be multi-leveled, because organizations are influenced by multiple social systems that are not all equally supportive of capacity.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Research, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joffres
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farquharson
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barkhouse
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Latter
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: MacLean
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006265:Health Care Coalitions; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009674:Nova Scotia; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012040:Regional Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*