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Table 2 The role of researchers, policy makers and local implementers in the translation process and key barriers and facilitators

From: Translating an early childhood obesity prevention program for local community implementation: a case study of the Melbourne InFANT Program

Role/Translation tasks

Facilitators of translation

Barriers to translation

Researchers

 • Negotiate funding for translation activities

 • Translate research intervention into pre-packaged program materials

 • Develop and deliver training program for community facilitators

 • Develop and maintain program website and update program materials as required

 • Meetings with actual and potential program delivery agents

 • Point of contact for expertise on the Program for policy makers and practitioners

 • Custodian of program intellectual property

 • Advice on program sustainability and evaluation

• Well established relationships between researchers and policy makers

 • Funding of researcher involvement in translation activities

 • Researcher/institutional commitment to research translation

 • Coordinating role for research translation activities

 • Intervention program initially designed to be scalable and feasible to implement within existing service delivery structures.

• Staff turnover amongst policy makers

 • Researcher capacity – translation not core business

 • Translation activities not traditionally rewarded for researchers

 • Funding for researcher involvement in translation time limited

Policy makers

 • Funding prevention areas

 • Funding researchers involvement in translation activities

 • Selection of evidence based programs for implementation

 • Facilitate meetings and connections between implementers and researchers

 • Printing and distribution of program materials

• Prevention funding available for 12 prevention areas

 • Personnel available to support program implementation

 • Well established relationships with researchers and program implementers

 • Awareness and knowledge of the InFANT Program throughout the research phase

 • The InFANT Program addressed a gap and aligned with policy context of using programs within a complex systems approach

• Changes in government and funding arrangements

 • Resistance to programs as part of a systems based approach to prevention

Local implementers

 • Plan program delivery

 • Engage delivery partners,

 • Program administration, delivery and evaluation

• Prevention area funding

 • The InFANT Program addressed a gap in services

 • Access to a pre-packaged evidence based program

 • Program training and local mentoring

 • Access and support from researchers who designed the Program

 • Strong partnerships with delivery agents

 • Coordinators / champions/leadership

 • Congruence with existing programs, services and policy

 • Program adaption to suit local context

• Heavy administrative burden of the Program

 • Availability of workforce to deliver the Program

 • Competition with existing programs (one area)

 • Lack of centralised program evaluation