Process Evaluation of the Healthy Schools Strategy in the urban area in Cali, Colombia

Abstract

Background: Health Promoting School (HPS) is the strategy to integrate health promotion initiatives in the school. In 2004, all of the primary public schools of Cali were covered by the strategy. A process evaluation of HPS is needed for its adjustment.
Objectives: To carry out a process evaluation of the HPS. The study explores the conceptual coherence between the guidelines of the strategy and the rationale and practice of the personnel in charge of its implementation; the mechanism of coordination inside the Healthy Schools Network (HSN); and the achievements, constraints and facilitators perceived by people involved in the strategy.
Methods: A qualitative process evaluation was carried out, based on the Potvin model. Data collection involved documentary review, interviews and focus groups. A purposing sample was made taking into account schools typology. The analysis entails on reading of the texts, codification with a priori and emergent categories, building of analytical charts and interpretation of the findings.
Results: There is conceptual coherence regarding HPS from the international level to the local one, this is reflected in the rationale and the practice of personnel of Health Sector and the schools and it is less detected in the personnel of some actors of other institutions. HSN was brought to the initiative coherence in objectives and methods between actors, but it lacks a bigger articulation among the three levels of the Network  (central node, municipal administration; neighborhoods node, local level; executive group, schools). The achievements are related to the improvement of the management of the schools and the health of the children; the facilitators to the management capacity of the schools and the will of chiefs and teachers to participate in the HPS; and the constraints to intersectorial coordination.
Conclusions: It is necessary to strengthen intersectorial coordination and the involvement of the strategy in community process which happens near of each school in order to consolidate HPS as a public policy. It is essential and important to reinforce this kind of research in Colombia and Latin America.