Healthier Lives Implementation Network

Tā mātou e tūhura ana

What we are investigating

Take | Issue

Many innovative health programmes and products are created to support community wellbeing and enhance health equity in Māori and Pacific communities. However, there is no infrastructure in place to help take them from the research arena into community practice so the value of successful programmes and products is not always sustained beyond the research phase.

Whāinga | Aim

This project will develop a network amongst Māori and Pacific community-based health providers, researchers, and partners within the health system to help implement innovative health programmes and products. It aims to:

- - provide an infrastructure for sharing information about novel programmes
  - support active implementation pilots, and
  - identify lessons learnt about implementation.

Huarahi i whāia | Approach

The project is being undertaken in three stages, the first of which has been completed:

Stage 1 (March – July 2022) – scoping parameters.

The project team gathered information and engaged with leaders across the health system – via interviews, questionnaires and online hui – to establish the interest in, feasibility of, and parameters for such a network. There was strong support for establishing a network, and valuable suggestions about how it could operate.

Stage 2 (from October 2022) – constructing the Network

An advisory group will be established and community-based health providers will be invited to join the Network. Its focus, structure and needs will be defined through ongoing, collaborative co-design, emphasising mutual respect and bi-directional learning. Concurrent research will identify the implementation needs, facilitators and barriers of Network members.

Stage 3 (from April 2023) – active implementation

Limited funding is available for small-scale implementation pilots in several communities. Community providers that have identified a programme that matches their needs, and have the capacity to implement it, will be eligible for this funding as well as ongoing support from the Network to adapt and implement the programme. Concurrent research will be undertaken to understand the facilitators and barriers to effective implementation processes and outcomes.

If the Network is well received and effective, efforts to secure funding to sustain it beyond the life of this project will be a key focus in Stages 2 and 3.