Effectiveness & Maintenance – Organizational Implementation and Effectiveness

This indicator focuses on the planned activities undertaken during the period assessed to sustain effective SNAP-Ed programming conducted by Implementing Agencies. It captures the process of sustaining SNAP-Ed strategies and interventions adopted and implemented in MT5, MT6, LT5, and LT6.

Organizations that implement SNAP-Ed interventions can only deliver benefits if they are able to sustain activities over time. Sustaining these investments and services becomes critical if they are to effectively address the nutrition and physical activity needs of SNAP-Ed constituents.

Sustainability is the continued use of intervention components and activities for the continued achievement of desirable programmatic and population outcomes. That can look different for different organizations and contexts. In some situations, it is simply a continuity of a program or services—the ability to carry on program services through funding and resource shifts or losses. In others, it is about institutionalizing services or the continuation of activities and impacts; creating a legacy; including continuing organizational ideals, principles, and beliefs; upholding existing relationships; and/or maintaining consistent outcomes.

There is no single formula or answer to the sustainability challenge. However, creating a written sustainability plan will provide a road map to guide you and your partners as you work on sustainability efforts. A sustainability plan is a written document that describes the priorities and action steps that will be taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of a SNAP-Ed intervention or initiative. The plan should reflect the input and engagement of partners (ST7), champions (ST6), and other critical stakeholders who have been engaged in the intervention and can develop long-term buy-in and support for continued intervention activities and efforts. Once a sustainability plan has been developed and implemented, monitoring of the plan should occur with a focus on which activities are being conducted and whether benchmarks and targets are being met.

Strong plans can determine success in sustaining interventions in specific settings. When developing a sustainability plan, be sure that it addresses critical components of sustainability and is comprehensive. Strong sustainability plans should address the following questions:

• Are benchmarks/targets established to indicate sustainability success?
• Are there implementation mechanisms identified for the sustainability of the setting or intervention?
• Are roles and responsibilities assigned to implement the plan?
• Is funding attached?
• Is there a time line identified for achieving sustainability?
• Does the plan identify a monitoring system for tracking success?

LT10. Total number (or proportion) of organizations or sites that have adopted and/or implemented a strong sustainability plan to maintain effective educational, marketing, nutrition, or physical activity standards/policies, systems, or environmental changes.

First, conduct a sustainability assessment to determine the sustainability capacity of an intervention and identify criteria for success. Several resources are available below to conduct an assessment.

Next, develop and implement a sustainability plan. A number of resources are available to assist with plan development and implementation (please see Resources section).

Once a sustainability plan has been developed and implemented, monitor it to determine the following:

• Are benchmarks and targets being met?
• Are partners and other stakeholders continuing to support the intervention?

Monitoring should occur at regular intervals to determine progress and identify areas for improvement. Conduct a review of the plan’s progress on a regular basis.

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Sustainability
Sustainability plan

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office on Women’s Health (OWH) commissioned a comprehensive review of existing literature relevant to understanding how to define, conceptualize, and measure sustainability across health programs and initiatives. This report presents the findings of this review, as well as the conceptual frameworks, specific assessment methods, tools, and strategies used to increase the likelihood of achieving sustainability.

https://owh-wh-d9-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/documents/sustainability-forum-report.pdf