‘Using the theory of change to support an evaluation of a health promotion initiative’

In 2012, I project managed a team of researchers who were commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the Sunderland Health Champions Programme. Evaluation is an activity that remains central to health promotion practice because it is concerned with assessing whether interventions are effective (Green and South 2006). Health Champions are a growing component within the British public health workforce and their roles are emphasised within the coalition’s Government’s public health strategy. However, there is the need for further exploration of the way in which Health Champions work and the effectiveness of programmes that use Health Champions as a mechanism to try to achieve positive health changes. Therefore Sunderland tPCT commissioned independent researchers, staff from the Centre for Health Promotion Research at Leeds Metropolitan University to evaluate their Health Champion Programme.