School-Based Physical Activity and the Implementation Paradox

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore core aspects of implementation management and what implementation management entails within the area of school-based physical activity. The article reports on a comprehensive national Delphi study identifying factors of key importance for implementing school-based physical activity. The Delphi study consisted of four phases: 1) Identifying implementation factors related to school-based physical activity reported in the scientific and grey literature; 2) Requesting a total of 65 national area experts to assess and prioritize the identified factors; 3) Interviewing selected national area experts to examine outlier responses; 4) Establishing final consensus on the prioritization of implementation factors identified, ranked and assessed in phase II. In the Delphi study, School management stands out as the factor that overall is considered most essential for successful implementation. The broader research literature on school-based implementation processes confirms the key role that, not least, first-level management, e.g. in the form of a given school’s local management, plays in the further deployment of educational policy changes. To put the findings from the Delphi study into perspective, the article discusses central issues on management of organizational implementation—including current knowledge about change and transformation management. In addition, research specifically dealing with strategic processes related to school-based physical activity is included. Finally, the article delivers core messages on what it takes to succeed with implementation management of school-based physical activity initiatives.