Healthy Cities Evaluation: the co-ordinators perspective

The Healthy Cities Project is based on the development of healthy public policies by local governments. The study aim of some project teams in different countries has been to find out what processes are involved in the development of these policies, how decisions are made, and who and what they are influenced by. The Valencian Community Healthy Cities Network conducted an evaluation process, part of which is presented in this paper. The aim was to find out the concepts and opinions of the project co-ordinators concerning the opportunities and problems for healthy municipal policies, and to analyse the municipal organization with a view to detecting structural opportunities for interdepartmental work. Interviews were conducted with the people responsible for the project in 13 cities and the relevant documents analysed. When discussing their health concept and actions for health, few of the co-ordinators mentioned the ideas contained in the Ottawa Charter. The established health programmes were rather based on personal/ individual changes and topic approach than setting-based strategies. The structural and strategic opportunities for interdepartmental work, as well as the active participation of the community in the healthy policies decision-making process need to be strengthened, as they are perceived to be insufficient. Personal relationships and political differences between the different actors appear to play an important role in the opportunities for the implementation of intersectoral policies.