Research protocol for impact assessment of a project to scale up food policies in the Pacific

Dori Patay; Kathy Trieu; Briar McKenzie; Shanthi Ramanathan; Alexis Hure; Colin Bell; Anne-Marie Thow; Steven Allender; Erica Reeve; Aliyah Palu; Mark Woodward; Gade Waqa; Jacqui Webster

doi:10.1186/s12961-022-00927-x

Research protocol for impact assessment of a project to scale up food policies in the Pacific

Health Res Policy Syst. 2022 Oct 29;20(1):117. doi: 10.1186/s12961-022-00927-x.

Authors

Dori Patay¹, Kathy Trieu², Briar McKenzie², Shanthi Ramanathan³, Alexis Hure³, Colin Bell⁴, Anne-Marie Thow⁵, Steven Allender⁴, Erica Reeve^{4

5}, Aliyah Palu², Mark Woodward^{2

6}, Gade Waqa⁷, Jacqui Webster²

Affiliations

¹ The George Institute for Global Health, Level 5, 1 King Street, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia. dpatay@georgeinstitute.org.au.
² The George Institute for Global Health, Level 5, 1 King Street, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, 2042, Australia.
³ Hunter Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Lot 1 Kookaburra Cct, New Lambton Heights, NSW, 2305, Australia.
⁴ Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
⁵ Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, John Hopkins Dr, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁶ The George Institute for Global Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, 84 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
⁷ Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention of Obesity and Non Communicable Diseases, Fiji National University, Princess Road, Tamavua, Suva, Fiji.

Abstract

Background: One of the challenges for countries implementing food policy measures has been the difficulty in demonstrating impact and retaining stakeholder support. Consequently, research funded to help countries overcome these challenges should assess impact and translation into practice, particularly in low-resource settings. However, there are still few attempts to prospectively, and comprehensively, assess research impact. This protocol describes a study co-created with project implementers, collaborative investigators and key stakeholders to optimize and monitor the impact of a research project on scaling up food policies in Fiji.

Methods: To develop this protocol, our team of researchers prospectively applied the Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research (FAIT). Activities included (i) developing a logic model to map the pathway to impact and establish domains of benefit; (ii) identifying process and impact indicators for each of these domains; (iii) identifying relevant data for impact indicators and a cost-consequence analysis; and (iv) establishing a process for collecting quantitative and qualitative data to measure progress. Impact assessment data will be collected between September 2022 and December 2024, through reports, routine monitoring activities, group discussions and semi-structured interviews with key implementers and stakeholders. The prospective application of the protocol, and interim and final research impact assessments of each project stream and the project as a whole, will optimize and enable robust measurement of research impact.

Discussion: By applying this protocol, we aim to increase understanding of pathways to impact and processes that need to be put in place to achieve this. This impact evaluation will inform future projects with a similar scope and will identify transferable and/or translatable lessons for other Pacific Island states and low- and middle-income countries.

Keywords: Fiji; Food policy; Implementation science; Pacific health; Process evaluation; Research impact assessment; Research translation.

MeSH terms

Humans
Income
Nutrition Policy
Research Design*
Research Personnel
Translational Research, Biomedical*

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding