Issue
Improving nutrition and physical activity is a Government priority. But the system to support physical activity and nutrition programmes across Auckland was fragmented with disconnected policies, funding streams, priorities, programmes and providers.
The three Auckland District Health Boards and the Ministry of Health identified that a whole system approach was required to ‘join up’ the systems and focus investment into priority areas and build whole system performance.
Solution
Synergia undertook a multi-level analysis of the nutrition and physical activity system, using literature reviews for international comparison, web based surveys to understand issues and perceptions from a wide range of stakeholders, data analysis to quantify issues and identify priorities and focus groups to understand detailed issues for key stakeholders.
The strategy was developed using multiple workshops and whole sector forums to build buy-in and support for the forward direction.
Outcome
The approach has led to new leadership structures, clear priorities and outcomes frameworks, new contracting mechanisms, funding and policy alignment, support for increased evaluation and learning environments, implementation infrastructure and web-supported information sharing solutions.
The sponsor organisations remain strongly involved in, and supportive of, the strategic direction and system design.
Synergia’s experience spans the continuum of the health and social service systems, including national policy development, population and public health, primary and community care through to specialist hospital
Whether your task involves policy development or management of service delivery, Synergia’s capability in the collaborative development of dynamic simulation models, to support more effective decision-making, can help you think and plan more effectively.