Linking physical activity & health evaluation to policy: lessons from UK evaluations

Evaluation is an important component of contemporary physical activity (PA) interventions. In this chapter, we provide a series of peer-review case studies that we have been involved. We comment on a number of issues and debates on the role of evaluation in PA policy and interventions. The case studies selected originated in local and or national policy. To identify these cases, we applied two key criteria set elsewhere (Pringle, Hargreaves Lozano et al., 2014): (I) Credibility: Cases represent real world illustrations of the place of evaluation in a policy context. (II). Impact: Cases identify their effects. The case studies provide applied, insightful, contextual and practical examples of partnership evaluations in both PA intervention and policy. Emerging from these case studies are a number of lessons for how evaluation is performed. We share this learning so it may shape future evaluation practice in physical activity and public health.