title: Critical success factors for physical activity promotion through community partnerships.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define key factors of effective evidence-based policy implementation for physical activity promotion by use of a partnership approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Parent and Harvey's model for sport and physical activity community-based partnerships, we defined determinants of implementation based on 13 face-to-face interviews with network organisations and 39 telephone interviews with partner organisations. Furthermore, two quantitative data-sets (n = 991 and n = 965) were used to measure implementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, nine variables were found to influence implementation. Personal contact was the most powerful variable since its presence contributed to success while its absence led to a negative outcome. Four contributed directly to success: political motive, absence of a metropolis, high commitment and more qualified staff. Four others resulted in a less successful implementation: absence of positive merger effects, exposure motive and governance, and dispersed leadership.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community networks are a promising instrument for the implementation of evidence-based policies. However, determinants of both formation and management of partnerships influence the implementation success. During partnership formation, special attention should be given to partnership motives while social skills are of utmost importance for the management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, steffie.lucidarme@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Steffie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lucidarme
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marlier
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardon
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willem
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks; D015444:Exercise; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research