Service provider perspectives on implementing the NSW Get Healthy at Work program

• Published in: International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 1945205
• Main Authors: Grunseit, Anne C., Bohn-Goldbaum, Erika, Thomas, Margaret, Seabury, Rochelle, Rissel, Chris, Crane, Melanie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.01.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Capacity building approach; Companies; Empirical Studies; Evaluation; Health care; Health promotion; Interviews; lifestyle-related disease; Partnerships; process evaluation; Public health; qualitative; Qualitative research; workplace health program; Workplaces
• ISSN: 1748-2631; 1748-2623; 1748-2631
• DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2021.1945205

Purpose: One approach increasingly used by governments to deliver on public initiatives is to partner with private enterprise through public-private partnerships. This study is a qualitative process evaluation of an Australian state-wide workplace health programme "Get Healthy at Work" from the currently under-researched perspective of the private service providers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine service providers. Interviews were transcribed and analysed inductively. Results: Service providers reported an alignment of motives and skills between the programme and their organizations as a benefit of the partnership. However, they also described misalignments: between the potential and realized value of the programme to businesses and service providers; the programme cycle and business operational processes; and the capacity building approach and businesses' expectations of the service.Conclusions: Although several hallmarks of a well-functioning private-public partnership were evident, misalignments of process and expectations challenged sustained partnership involvement by providers. Careful consideration must be given to the ongoing management functioning of cross-sector engagement and partnering in health promotion practice in order to ensure public health goals are being met, but also that the model is mutually sustainable.