TY - JOUR
T1 - The workings of an action learning program for building mental health promotion capacity
T2 - A realist evaluation
AU - Hinrichsen, Carsten
AU - Nelausen, Malene Kubstrup
AU - Nielsen, Line
AU - Santini, Ziggi Ivan
AU - Meilstrup, Charlotte
AU - Rod, Morten Hulvej
AU - Koushede, Vibeke
AU - Lauridsen, Sigurd
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Nordea-fonden [grant numbers 02-2018-1486 ].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - Action learning is a promising approach for building mental health promotion (MHP) capacity. The aim of this study is to explore how action learning processes can strengthen MHP capacity within and across organizations in a community setting. We applied an embedded case study design and a realist evaluation framework to explore key combinations of mechanisms and contextual factors that generated the emergent MHP capacity outcomes of an action learning program, i.e. context-mechanism-outcome-configurations (CMO-configurations). Data consisted of 18 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, 10 telephone interviews, two group interviews, observations, and documents. Interviewees (n = 21) were participants and management employees. Our analytical provision of CMO-configurations provides insights into how contextual factors, such as participant motivation, organizational support, and existing task descriptions, in combination with certain program mechanisms, such as legitimization of specific agendas, learning-by-doing, and collaborations across organizational boundaries, explain the identified outcomes. Outcomes ranged across implementation of MHP initiatives, personal development among participants, and relational and collaborative development. Taken together, our results strengthen the notion that mechanisms of action learning hold the potential to build MHP capacity on an individual, organizational, and community level. This study, also, illustrates that realist evaluation offers a relevant methodology for investigating the underlying workings of capacity building programs.
AB - Action learning is a promising approach for building mental health promotion (MHP) capacity. The aim of this study is to explore how action learning processes can strengthen MHP capacity within and across organizations in a community setting. We applied an embedded case study design and a realist evaluation framework to explore key combinations of mechanisms and contextual factors that generated the emergent MHP capacity outcomes of an action learning program, i.e. context-mechanism-outcome-configurations (CMO-configurations). Data consisted of 18 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, 10 telephone interviews, two group interviews, observations, and documents. Interviewees (n = 21) were participants and management employees. Our analytical provision of CMO-configurations provides insights into how contextual factors, such as participant motivation, organizational support, and existing task descriptions, in combination with certain program mechanisms, such as legitimization of specific agendas, learning-by-doing, and collaborations across organizational boundaries, explain the identified outcomes. Outcomes ranged across implementation of MHP initiatives, personal development among participants, and relational and collaborative development. Taken together, our results strengthen the notion that mechanisms of action learning hold the potential to build MHP capacity on an individual, organizational, and community level. This study, also, illustrates that realist evaluation offers a relevant methodology for investigating the underlying workings of capacity building programs.
KW - Action learning
KW - Capacity building
KW - Mechanisms
KW - Mental health promotion
KW - Realist evaluation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128840989&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102080
DO - 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102080
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35395493
AN - SCOPUS:85128840989
VL - 92
JO - Evaluation and Program Planning
JF - Evaluation and Program Planning
SN - 0149-7189
M1 - 102080
ER -