title: Assessing local capacity for health intervention.
abstract: Because of their location within the practice realm, participatory, community-based public health coalitions offer many lessons about implementing and sustaining local interventions. This paper presents a case study of capacity assessment at the local level. Capacity evaluation methods are presented, with emphasis on the theoretical framework used to guide the evaluation. The capacity evaluation framework presented herein was theoretically based and designed to generate practical information to facilitate the adoption of a locally tailored youth obesity prevention program, VERB Summer Scorecard (VSS). Using multiple methods, four aspects of community capacity were assessed, including community, knowledge and skills, resources, and power. Within each category, factors that facilitated or impeded program implementation were distinguished. The evaluation protocol was designed to generate information increasing community capacity to sustain a community-based obesity prevention program. Capacity tables were used as a program-planning tool and as a system for sharing implementation and sustainability requirements with potential adopters. This case study also explores how to use capacity assessment results to empower coalitions to serve as catalysts for development of local programs in other communities.
authors.affiliation: Florida Prevention Research Center at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, USA. moalfons@mail.usf.edu
authors.forename: Moya L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Alfonso
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nickelson
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hogeboom
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Baldwin
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005431:Florida; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D011634:Public Health