Implementation of National Guidelines for Healthy School Meals: The Relationship between Process and Outcome

The implementation of policy interventions at the school level is often considered an organizational change process. The main goal of the present study was to examine the degree of implementation of Norwegian national guidelines for healthy school meals and how organizational capacity at the school level contributed to the degree of implementation. The study used a multiple case design with an exploratory approach. Data were collected at three schools in Norway. The degree of implementation was identified through adherence, exposure, quality of delivery, and weekly revenue. The factors that seemed most important for implementation of the guidelines were building innovation-specific organizational capacity through organizational infrastructure, particularly by allocation of financial and human resources, adjusting food and beverages, and strong leadership support. (Contains 5 tables.)