(An item taken from the daily/weekly/monthly ISHN Member information service) Farm to school nutrition programs are emerging in many countries as the next innovative approach to healthy eating. Three articles in Issue #4, 2012 of Childhood Obesity provide excellent analyses, along with others on school salad bars, school gardens and the elimination of processed foods by cooking from scratch in schools. All of these are good but in this commentary, we want to illustrate how narrow our focus can become, even when we use evidence-based logic models and behaviour theory. One article in this journal issue presents an excellent linear logic model that correctly depicts the multiple inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes associated with FtoS programs. As well, the model correctly seeks to take local context and feedback loops within the social system of the school and community into account. In summary, the paper presents one of the better linear logic models that we have seen. But here is the rub: what about the complexity of the school-neighbourhood-family setting and the competition from the many, many other school programs also entering that same context? If we do consider these things, then program innovations like this can become pretty academic pretty quickly. Read more
Competing Needs: If we took only the issue of nutrition, we could develop several more logic models for other aspects of eating, including nutrition education to promote food literacy, food safety, food allergies, food security, eating disorders and more. Then, for each of the other 25+ competing health and social issues also affecting children (drugs, bullying, mental health, sexual health, character education etc), we could add at least ten more logic models per issue. So we now have over 250 logic models guiding over 250 competing programs all entering into the same social and physical environment of the school.
Complexity: Now, let's add the fact that schools, by their nature, are open to external influences. Consequently, local schools and school systems often respond to those new demands very quickly (far faster than their governing bodies) because they are adaptive systems. Then let's consider the actions and advocacy of other systems (health, justice, environment etc) who need to have schools become part of their response to their urgent issues. Then, let us also note the fact that local schools operate semi-independently as do the teachers within them, each deciding on immediate priorities within a broad set of fairly vague, long-term goals, with only a few aspects of those goals (reading, math, science) ever being tested or monitored on an ongoing basis. Finally, add in the fact that school systems are multi-level, professional bureaucracies in which smaller decisions about innovations and specific program are left to the knowledgeable experts in loosely-coupled decision-making systems. In other words, decisions about innovations like FtoS programs will be made at several levels before they are actually implemented, let alone sustained over time. Complexity theory (as opposed to chaos theory) is supposed to help us sort all of this out. Consequently, whenever we see a linear logic model, we need to think about its usefulness very, very carefully. Linear logic models can help us plan a better program. But complex, multi-level, multi-issue, multi-system planning will determine whether that program is ever sustainable in the long term Read the article about Farm to School logic models. Read this wiki-based summary of ecological and systems-based approaches. Or join the ISHN International Discussion Group on Implementation/Operation, Capacity and Sustainability Issues.
Complexity: Now, let's add the fact that schools, by their nature, are open to external influences. Consequently, local schools and school systems often respond to those new demands very quickly (far faster than their governing bodies) because they are adaptive systems. Then let's consider the actions and advocacy of other systems (health, justice, environment etc) who need to have schools become part of their response to their urgent issues. Then, let us also note the fact that local schools operate semi-independently as do the teachers within them, each deciding on immediate priorities within a broad set of fairly vague, long-term goals, with only a few aspects of those goals (reading, math, science) ever being tested or monitored on an ongoing basis. Finally, add in the fact that school systems are multi-level, professional bureaucracies in which smaller decisions about innovations and specific program are left to the knowledgeable experts in loosely-coupled decision-making systems. In other words, decisions about innovations like FtoS programs will be made at several levels before they are actually implemented, let alone sustained over time. Complexity theory (as opposed to chaos theory) is supposed to help us sort all of this out. Consequently, whenever we see a linear logic model, we need to think about its usefulness very, very carefully. Linear logic models can help us plan a better program. But complex, multi-level, multi-issue, multi-system planning will determine whether that program is ever sustainable in the long term Read the article about Farm to School logic models. Read this wiki-based summary of ecological and systems-based approaches. Or join the ISHN International Discussion Group on Implementation/Operation, Capacity and Sustainability Issues.
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