Table 4 Assessment process, method, classification and designation

Europe

1. Call for best practices

2. Submission of practices by countries

3. External evaluation using criteria Steering group

Point-grading-system

• Exclusion criteria (relevance, intervention characteristics, evidence and theory based, ethical aspects),

• Core criteria (effectiveness and efficiency of the intervention, equity),

• Qualifier (transferability, sustainability, participation, intersectoral collaboration)

Best practice

Finland

Open peer review:

1. Submission of the practice by the practice owner

2. The editorial team assesses applicability to the evaluation process

3. The author decribes the practice by filling the evaluation criteria

4. At least two peer-reviewers evaluate the practice and may ask for revision and additional information

If the peer reviews differs widely, the editorial team may invite an additional peer reviewer.

Point-grading-system, including qualitative and quantitative criteria

Evaluation criteria:

• Basic information of the practice and applicability to the evaluation process (for the acceptance to the evaluation process)

• Description of the impact chain of the practice (e.g., background, aim, target group, experts and stakeholders, approach/methods, process evaluation and quality assurance, results and effectiveness, costs and cost effectiveness, risks, ethical considerations, management)

• Evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of practice (e.g. studies, reports, calculations)

• Transferability and applicability of practice (e.g., availability of training material and training, regional transferability, implementation)

• In addition, a list of outputs and publications related to the practice

Evidence-based practices:

5- level classification:

1 = poor practice

2 = satisfactory practice

3 = good practice

4 = very good practice

5 = excellent

Germany

1. Recommendation (e.g., by the Equity in Health coordination office)

2. Interview with practice owner and description by the staff of BZgA

3. Assessment of practice by two experts of advisory working group of cooperation office

4. After several feedback loops and positive assessment the practice is published in the practice database

Self-reflection,

in-depth-interview with practice-owner

Good Practice Criteria recommended for use:

• Concept and project planning,

• Target group orientation

• Settings approach

• Integrating intermediaries

• Sustainability

• Low-threshold methodology,

• Participation

• Empowerment

• Integrated action/networking

• Quality management

• Documentation and evaluation

• Capturing cost effectiveness

Good practice

Italy

1. Submission by the practice owner

2. Two independent reviewers (one expert in health promotion methodology, one expert in topic or setting) evaluates and may ask for revision and additional information to the documents (two or more revisional loops).

3. After the required addictions/changes the practice is published and described in its strengths and limitations and with suggestions for the transferability.

Point-grading-system

Principle and values:

• Equity

• Empowerment

• Participation

Planning and evaluation:

• Context analysis

• Setting

• Theories and models

• Evidence and good practices

Objectives:

• Description of actions/interventions

• Resources, timelines, and constraints

• Process evaluation

• Impact and outcome evaluation

Sustainability and transferability:

• Partnerships and alliances

• Sustainability

• Transferability

• Communication

Transferable good practice

The Netherlands

1. Submission by the practice owner

2. Advice on draft description by external advisors to improve quality of submission (2–3 loops)

3. Assessment of the programme by three members of the committee (representatives of practice and science) during a meeting

4. Intervention and the recognition level are presented in the portal with evidence level

Qualitative assessment (criteria provide guidance for evaluator to make suggestions for improvement)

Description of the intervention:

• Objectives

• Target group

• Involvement of target group

• Method/approach

• design and content

Theoretical underpinning:

• Problem analysis

• Factors addressing the problem

• Justification of the method (change theory and empirical evidence) and summary of core elements

Feasibility:

• Training and competencies professionals

• Material for implementation

• Recruitment and evaluation of the intervention

• Quality assurance

• Prerequisites for implementation

• Resources

Evaluation:

• Process evaluation and effect evaluation: number of studies, methods and results

Recognized interventions:

five-level-classification:

1. Well-described

2. Theoretically sound

3. First indications for effectiveness

4. Good indications for effectiveness

5. Strong indications for effectiveness

Poland

Planned: The review is done by 3 to 5 evaluators (working group and support from advisory group)

Not introduced so far

Planned: development of criteria to assess submitted interventions based on EU-Commission criteria and those applied in other national programme registries

Good practice

Slovenia

1. Submission to the database by the practice owner (e.g., questionnaire and all relevant documentation)

2. Assessment of the intervention by three reviewers (representatives of practice and science)

3. First panel meeting of reviewers to prepare additional questions and requests for the intervention owners

4. Peer-reviewers meet with the owners of the intervention, requesting additional information and revisions, as needed

5. 3–4 panel meetings of reviewers to agree upon the final decision regarding the assessment score and to prepare the final document with proposals for possible improvements

Point-grading-system

Assessment criteria adapted from the EU Best Practice Portal and piloted in 2022.

Exclusion criteria

• Relevance of the intervention regarding the objectives of public health policies and strategies

• Intervention characteristics and structure

• Evidence and theory based

• Ethical aspects

Core criteria

• Effectiveness and Efficiency of the intervention

• Equity (considering the dimension of equality and equity and efforts to reduce health inequalities)

• Participation of target groups and stakeholders

• Intersectoral collaboration

Additional criteria

• Transferability

• Sustainability

Good practice