Background
Methods
Staffing and Governance
Participants
Design, development and implementation of the interventions
Process evaluation
Category | Description | Objective number (#) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Additional resources
| |||
Funding | 13 × Grants from local and international donors | M | TOP $42,577 secured to support physical activity, vegetable gardening, training, and healthy eating activities |
Leadership
| |||
Students | 2 × students selected for Tonga Football National Team | 8 | Tonga Football Association made selections after the MYP soccer competition |
2 × students attended one week WHO Ministers meeting, Auckland, New Zealand | 1 | Accompanied by Project Coordinator | |
12 × students ambassador promoting MYP objectives | One school adopted ambassador program | ||
3 students attended 3 day Youth Summit | Accompanied by one research assistant. Organised by Tonga National Youth Congress | ||
Community | 16 people attended 4 day Championship Training | 1 | Program to train and empower community to sustain MYP intervention activities |
2 × villages developed a Community Governance Structure | 1 | Part of Community leadership program initiated by MYP | |
Staff | 8 staff presentations at 6 different international conferences | 1 | 3 staff involved |
1 staff attended 3 day Youth Stakeholders Forum | 1 | Training program on Youth Leadership | |
Workforce Development
| |||
Community | 12 people attended 4 community training sessions on organic vegetable gardening | 1, 6 | 12 hours training. 2 staff also attended |
12 people attended 2 days training on drip irrigation | 1 | 4 hours training | |
76 community members attended Community Empowerment and Leadership Training × 5 days | 1 | 4 hours × 5 days Training on Empowerment and Leadership skills × 4 villages | |
12 people attended 2 hour report writing and documentation training for vegetable growing participants | 1 | Conducted in 3 villages | |
9 young farmers attended micro-business planning workshop | 1 | Organized and co-hosted by MYP for young people interested in farming | |
Staff | 2 staff attended Social Marketing Training | M, 2 | 1 attended 4 day workshop organised locally, the other attended a regional workshop, 2 attended 2 hour training provided locally |
2 staff enrolled in Graduate Certificate courses at Fiji School of Medicine | 1,7 | Epidemiology and Public Health courses | |
3 staff attended 3 day Youth Task Force Workshop | 1 | Organized by Ministry of Training Youth and Sports | |
2 staff attended 1 day Health Promoting School retreat and 3 attended 3 day Health Promoting School workshop | 1 | Conducted by Health Promotion Unit | |
2 staff attended 32 hour basic aerobic instructor training | M | Conducted by Ministry of Health over 8 weeks | |
2 staff attended 5 day EpiInfo training | 1 | Course delivered by New Zealand project partners | |
2 staff attended one day non-government organisation leadership retreat | 1 | Organised by Tonga Civil Society Forum | |
1 staff attended 4 day proposal and report writing workshop | 1,4 | Organized by Ministry of Training, Employment, Youth and Sport | |
1 staff attended one day Health Promotion Foundation Workshop on governance and business plan development | 1 | Project coordinator attended | |
1 staff attended 2 day National Youth Strategy Workshop | M | Organised by the Ministry of Training, Employment, Youth and Sport | |
1 staff enrolled in Not for Profit Management course | 1 | Organised by Tonga Civil Society funded by New Zealand Aid | |
Partnerships and collaborations
| |||
Government | Ongoing development of partnerships and network with 5 Government Ministries from project outset | M | Meetings and workshop held with Ministries of Health; Finance and Planning; Education; Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries; Training, Employment, Youth and Sport |
Non -government organizations | Collaboration and networking on physical activity and healthy eating | M | Support in terms of funding and assistance was provided by the following: churches, schools, Youth Group, Women's Group, Farmers, Cocker Enterprise, Westpac Bank of Tonga, anonymouscdonors, Tonga Health Association, Tonga Civil Society, Tonga Trust, Tonga National Youth Congress, Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific, Tonga Communication Corporation, NZAID, AustAID, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Food and Agriculture Organization |
Organisational development | Public launch of MYP baseline results | M | Key stakeholders, school, communities, Government and Non government organisation attended. |
2 project presentations delivered locally by staff | 1 | One was on baseline result to community members; the other was to raise project awareness to all local health organisations |
Results
Evaluation by Strategic Objective
Category | Description | Objective number (#) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Media reports and promotions
| |||
Television | 9 × 30 second television advertisements | 5, 6, 7, 9 | Developed in-house for prime time national television. Screened regularly over a six months period. Research team members used as actors. |
7 × television interviews/news items | M | Interviews with Deakin research team members aired on Tongan national television (such as at launch of baseline survey, construction of first community vegetable garden). One television program on project awareness. | |
Print | 4 × newspaper column articles | M | MYP social marketing officer wrote column for a national newspaper |
Radio | 6 × 30 minute talk-back radio programs | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 | National radio program comprising a talk followed by a talk-back question and answer session. Research team staff facilitated and participated in the program. |
4 × 5 minute segments in a health program | 4, 6, 7, 9 | Segment within a radio program run by Health Promotion Unit | |
3 × 30 second radio jingles | 6,7 | Developed in-house for national radio. Played repeatedly. | |
Radio release | M | Commencement of project | |
2 × songs | M | Produced by MYP staff and aired during talk-back radio programs | |
Developed materials
| |||
Printed | 1 sign | 9 | Displayed in 5 locations in food shops in intervention sites |
2 sets of stickers | 6, 7 | 1,000 stickers distributed in schools, churches, general community | |
Breakfast menu | 4 | 20 copies produced for circulation to school canteens. Developed by tertiary nutrition student on placement. | |
1 × Breakfast fact sheet | 4 | 1000x breakfast fact sheet developed and distributed into schools | |
1 × video of intervention activities | M | Screened at one day OPIC symposium in Auckland, New Zealand, and also at launch of baseline results in Tonga | |
1 × Project leaflet | M | Distributed to all households (in one village only) to raise project awareness | |
Other | 2 × roadside billboards | 4, 6, 7 | Breakfast billboard erected in one location in each of the 3 intervention districts; other located in a central location in the capital |
11 × project banners | 6, 7, 9 | One outside office, others displayed at intervention events | |
Project logo | M | Developed by graphic design company | |
Vehicle logo | M | Used on project vehicle | |
2 Food stops (sandwich display boards) | M, 6 | 11 boards in total displayed in front of vegetable stalls or school canteens | |
T-shirts with MYP logo | M | Distributed to participants in Fun Run and Walk for Health | |
1 water promotion display | 9 | 5 Water display for display at store | |
Sourced materials
| |||
Printed | Fat kit | 4, 5, 6 | Materials (including posters and other visual aids) developed by New Zealand Heart Foundation, and used for displays in schools, communities etc. |
15 × posters | 4, 5, 6 | Sourced from South Pacific Commission; displayed at schools or events | |
Other
| |||
Launch | 2 × project launches | M, 7 | Director of Health launched MYP project; Minister for Health launched Walk for Health |
Segment in documentary on obesity | M | Filmed by Swedish crew in Tonga; research team members participated | |
Free fruit distribution | 6 | 10 fruit promotion held during inter-college sports competition and community functions | |
Marketing survey on organic vegetables | 6 | Survey conducted with restaurants to promote availability of organic vegetables from farming project | |
Survey on water promotion at a church annual conference | 9 | Follow up survey with on the promotion of drinking water conducted during church conference | |
2 × water promotion campaigns | 9 | Water campaign during one week annual church conference. The other conducted at a village level. Displayed banner at both events | |
World Food Day display | 6, 7, 9 | Displayed social marketing resources during celebrations |
Category | Description | Objective number (#) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Policies
| |||
3 × schools implement food policy | 4, 5, 6, 9 | School with supportive canteen manager take the initiative to implement school food policy | |
Organic vegetable growing governance structure developed | 6 | A group approach to maintain vegetable garden in the community | |
3 × Food Policy workshops conducted | 4, 5, 6, 9 | Over a 3 year period. representatives of various government departments attended | |
Activities
| |||
Fruit trees planting | 6 | Community intervention committee initiated program to plant local fruit trees at home starting with banana tree (3 villages), hibiscus manihot tree (190 households), pawpaw and passion tree (1 village) | |
1 × community breakfast | 4 | Demonstrated the use of local foods for breakfast | |
1 × 0.5 day school canteen workshop | 4, 5, 6 | School canteen manager from 7 intervention schools attended | |
Program
| |||
4 × school vegetable gardens developed | 6 | To provide all year round supply of vegetables for school cooking classes. Promote student appreciation of vegetables | |
18 × community vegetable gardens developed | 6 | Established in different villages to promote daily consumption of vegetables | |
4 × markets held to sell surplus community vegetable produce | 6 | Surplus produce sold outside MYP work place | |
8 × inspections of vegetable gardens | 6 | Sites visited and gardens inspected | |
Infrastructure and equipment
| |||
1 × school canteen established | 5 | Contributed to purchase of new facilities | |
12 × vegetable gardens installed with drip irrigation | 6 | 2 school garden and 10 in the community | |
2 × green houses established | 6 | Constructed in the community | |
1 × water tank repaired | 9 | Located in village |
Category | Description | Objective number (#) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Policies
| |||
Nil | |||
Activities
| |||
1 × weekend soccer tournament organised over a 4 week period | 8 | All intervention sites participated plus 2 other intervention schools | |
1 × weekend volleyball tournament organised over a 5 week period | 8 | 10 × teams participated from 1 intervention community | |
2 × sports competition over 3 days | 7,8 | 3 × villages participated in different sports events | |
1 × fun run event | 7 | Followed a 1/2 day physical activity of cleaning up the community led by youth groups | |
1 × environment day | 7 | 1 intervention site involved in a 2 hour running event | |
Programs
| |||
74 × one hour aerobic sessions conducted over a 1 year period | 7 | Targeted whole community especially adolescent girls. Conducted at village level. | |
1 school conducted weekly aerobics × 2 terms | 7 | Targeted both students and teachers | |
6 × one hour Krump sessions, 2 × action song, 2 × hip hop dance sessions conducted at Schools and community | 7 | Aimed to introduce students to new form of physical activity | |
21 × Walk for Health events | 7 | Targeted whole community in different villages | |
7 × one hour tennis coaching sessions | 7 | Targeted adolescents in one community | |
Infrastructure and equipment
| |||
12 × soccer balls & 8 × volley balls distributed | 7, 8 | Distributed to intervention schools to support organized sports. Funded by various donors. |
1. Capacity Building
(a) Resources
(b) Leadership
c) Workforce Development
(d) Partnerships
2. Social Marketing
3 Nutrition
(a) Policy
(b) Activities
(c) Programs
(d) Infrastructure and equipment
4. Physical Activity
Discussion
(a) Community engagement
(b) Program design and planning
(c) Implementation and sustainability
(d) Governance and accountability
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Intervention activities should suit the local cultural context and be tailored to community needs.
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Top-down policy approaches are crucial in all settings.
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Adequate time needs to be allocated for planning and community engagement prior to embarking on intervention activities.
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Social marketing is fundamental to project success but is potentially time-consuming and expensive.
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Successful community-based projects are dependent on sustained alliances with a wide range of players.