While the majority of the legwork is now complete, it is important to evaluate and reflect on your hard work. You will also want to plan for sustainability to ensure that the momentum you’ve built is maintained.
To evaluate your changes, use the same assessment and audit tools as you did in Step 1 (Perform Assessment and Audits). This will help you determine where you have achieved your goals and which areas you can continue to improve upon.
Action #1: Complete a Re-Assessment
Use the Facility Assessment Tool or the Community Overview.
Action #2: Re-Audit Vending
Use the Vending Audit Tool to rate your Vending Machine(s).
Action #3: Re-Audit Food Services
Use the Food Services Audit Tool to assess the state of the food and verage choices you offer.
Action #4: Complete Patron Surveys (optional)
The Patron Survey lets you explore awareness about healthy eating initiatives among facility users. Introduction information and a Survey Script can be used to help you conduct the Patron Surveys.
Action #5: Assess Your Changes
Compare your evaluation results to previous assessments, audits, and surveys. Use this information to decide what Healthy Choices activities to do next.
Action #6: Complete an Action Plan for Sustainability
An Action Plan for Sustainability template has been provided in order to help you maintain the changes you have made over the long-term.
Ideas for Evaluation and Monitoring
When it comes to monitoring and evaluating change, you have a number of options for gathering data, including:
- Surveys;
- Comment Boxes;
- Informal Discussions;
- Formal Meetings;
- Questionnaires; and
- Any other creative ideas you might have!
Questions you should consider include:
- How effective are the changes?
- Are they sustainable?
- What challenges need resolving?
- Are patrons happy with the changes?
- Are staff members satisfied with the changes?
- What areas still need changing?
- What’s working well?
- What’s not working well?
- Are there any new healthy eating goals that we want to reach?
Each option has strengths and weaknesses so you’ll need to decide which ones will work best for you. Keep in mind certain evaluations are better suited to specific audiences. For example, a survey will likely work better for the adult patrons of your facility, but informal discussions are more appropriate for children in sports camps.
Tips from facility staff
- Review your goals or policy every year
- You don’t have to make changes to the policy every year but it’s important to review it and ensure that it is still applicable and that you are still in compliance.
