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oai:figshare.com:article/34022904 2026-09-30T09:33:02Z category_34379 category_33854 category_33842 category_33941 portal_747 item_type_18 month_year_09_2026

A national process evaluation of the Slaintecare healthy communities programme Craig Smith (20351799) Eunice Phillip (9038717) Aisling Walsh (7899293) Richard Layte (311130) Paul Kavanagh (7898888) Monica O'Mullane (14174330) Deborah Stanistreet (7899116) Health policy Health management Health and community services Health equity Sláintecare accountability community at the centre co-production equity learning and adaptation collaboration Sláintecare Healthy Communities Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme <p dir="ltr"><b>Background: </b>Health inequalities in Ireland remain deeply embedded in the social, economic, and environmental conditions experienced by the most disadvantaged communities. The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme (SHCP) was established in October 2021 as a flagship cross-government initiative to address these inequalities through a place-based approach (PBA), operating across designated areas of deprivation nationwide. Implemented through a partnership between the Department of Health (DOH), the Health Service Executive (HSE), and Local Authorities (LAs), the programme now operates across 24 community areas spanning 16 LA areas, with significant annual investment per area in HSE-delivered core behaviour change interventions, supplemented by LA-administered Seed Funding and a one-off Community Enhancement Fund.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Purpose of the evaluation: </b>This report presents the findings of an independent national process evaluation of SHCP. <br>The evaluation aims to examine the systems and processes through which it is operating, establish a shared understanding of the theory underpinning the programme and produce an evidence-based set of recommendations to support the programme’s future development. It does not evaluate the performance of individual programme areas or staff; rather, it examines how well the systems and processes underpinning the programme are functioning — where they are working well, where there are gaps, and how they can best be developed to enable SHCP to achieve its full potential.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr"><b>Methods: </b>A multi-method process evaluation design was used, drawing on an overview of reviews synthesising 27 international systematic reviews on barriers and enablers to PBAs (published 2014–2024); analysis of 13 SHCP-related documents spanning 2021–2024; 40 semi-structured interviews with interest holders across national, regional and community levels of the programme; three inquiry workshops with Local Development Officers (LDOs) and HSE SHCP Co-ordinators; and a final interest-holder reflection and recommendation workshop attended by 76 participants representing national and local policy, governance, delivery, and community perspectives. The evaluation was overseen by a 22-member steering group and approved by RCSI and HSE Research Ethics Committees.</p> 2026-09-30T00:00:00Z Text Report 10.25419/rcsi.34022904.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/report/A_national_process_evaluation_of_the_Slaintecare_healthy_communities_programme/34022904 CC BY-SA 4.0