EVALUATING A STATEWIDE PARTNERSHIP FOR REDUCING RISKS FOR CHRONIC DISEASES

We describe a case study evaluation of Kansas LEAN, a statewide partne rship with the mission of reducing risks for chronic diseases through dietary and exercise modification. We used a case study design to exam ine five primary questions related to process and outcome: (a) were th e goals of the partnership important to constituents? (process), (b) w ere constituents satisfied with the partnership (process), (c) were co mmunity or systems changes (new or modified programs, policies, or pra ctices) facilitated by partnership efforts (outcome)?, (d) were these changes important to the partnership's mission (outcome)?, and (e) wha t critical events helped facilitate community changes (outcome)? Sever al measurement instruments-a monitoring and feedback system, constitue nt surveys, and semistructured interviews-were used to address key eva luation questions. Kansas LEAN is a strong statewide partnership with involvement from key representatives throughout Kansas. It is an ongoi ng, comprehensive health promotion program that plans and implements m ultiple components, in a variety of settings, to create awareness, beh avior change, and a supportive environment. Kansas LEAN has facilitate d several important community or systems changes related to its missio n. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges of evaluating partn erships that seek to reduce risks for chronic diseases.