The following observations are derived from the Internet-Based Tobacco Control Communications Program, conducted in the Czech Republic during June 1999-December 2000. The lessons are based on the experience of the project participants and evaluators:
- Professional standing and commitment of Czech partners and placing them
in leadership roles are key to successful project implementation: CECHE's
main Czech partners Drs. Rudolf Poledne of IKEM and Hana Sovonova of NIPH
are highly respected and well established health professionals in the Czech
Republic. NIPH is the lead agency responsible for tobacco control
in the country and IKEM is the primary agency for cardiovascular disease
control. The partners' professional know-how and commitment and their
agencies' standing in the Czech leadership assured wide access within and
outside the Czech government. Placing Drs. Poledne and Sovonova in
leadership roles gave them incentive, ensured local adaptability of new
approaches being proposed and enhanced project credibility.
- Partnerships with key international organizations
and players in the grass roots movement, tobacco control and Internet use
ensured needed tools and optimal training. Acquiring UICC-GLOBALink
of Geneva - the leader in international Internet-based tobacco control networking
- as a major partner from the start was instrumental in obtaining critical
training in Internet and tobacco control communications. GLOBALink
"trained the Czech trainers" who in turn conducted additional
Internet training workshops for new TOB-CCP Network
members. GLOBALink also helped set up a special listserv for the project,
which was a central mechanism used for networking and it enhanced the project
website. This insured continued availability of up-to-date tobacco
control information via email and the Internet and the project website (http://www.szu.cz/drogy)
and continued action on tobacco control issues. This service also facilitated
project monitoring. Other international partnerships with leaders
in tobacco control, in addition to CECHE, especially the National Center
for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Advocacy Institute, both in Washington, D.C,
secured training in tobacco control and enabled relationships with a widening
group of international experts. Finally, the American Heart Association's
(AHA) involvement was critical to the formation of the Czech
Heart Association. These relationships facilitated program activities
and contributed to building organizational capacity including fundraising
and volunteerism.
- Partnerships with key local organizations
involved in tobacco control within and outside the Czech government are
necessary to ensure project viability, wide scale impact and future sustainability
of the program. Working with the local District Hygiene Stations of the
Czech Ministry of Health, medical and research institutions, with NGO's
and professional societies, and health and tobacco control professionals
throughout the Czech Republic proved essential to consensus building on
priorities and strategies and the formation of the network. Contacts with
the Czech Ministry of Health proved important in ensuring the nationwide
implementation of initiatives and are deemed important in future efforts
of the TOB-CCP Network and the CHA.
- Collaborating with Czech TV, radio and print media played a central role
in enhancing the project's outreach and impact. Favorable reception
by the media of the frequent press events and wide scale press coverage
of project activities are a testimony to the importance of media relations
in enhancing project dissemination. Previous collaborative work with Czech
TV such as on CECHE's TV series, "Elixir
of Life" proved helpful. The project also demonstrated that
continuing to network with journalists and serving as experts resources
for health-related stories helps to promote coverage of critical issues,
events and legislation, and to bring tobacco control to the forefront of
news for Czech audiences.
- Collaboration and support of Czech cardiovascular disease-oriented professional
societies and Czech cardiologists was central to the successful formation
of the new grass roots organization-the Czech Heart
Association (CHA). A focus on tobacco control by public
health specialists alone was not sufficient to gain public confidence in
the network, our Czech partners determined. Involvement of cardiologists
in the program and especially in CHA, was needed to ensure CHA leadership
in the tobacco control arena, credibility, impact and long-term sustainability.
- An ongoing plan of action coupled with assurance of funds is necessary
for sustainability of the Tobacco Control Network. Although the network
has developed its own agenda for future action, participants agreed on the
importance of a follow-up mechanism, for example annual surveys to assess
the network's status and role. Assistance in fundraising (e.g. planning
and conducting training programs for a fee, obtaining corporate sponsorships)
was deemed necessary to enhance network sustainability, especially membership
building and strengthening the community of tobacco control health professionals,
focusing future meetings on school outreach, collaborating with Czech State
TV, Internet training, fundraising and continued policy advocacy efforts.
- Ongoing needs assessment ensured targeted training and project evaluation.
The training program encompassed ongoing needs assessment as the network
grew. Regular feedback ensured that specific training needs could
be addressed. The resultant series of Training workshops (October
1999; April 2000; June2000)
assisted in establishing a baseline of skills, resources, and needs; setting
training goals; targeting specific deficits identified during the assessments
as well as forming a basis for ongoing project evaluation.
- Periodic project evaluation assisted in mid-course corrections. Evaluating
the impact of the training workshops assisted in fine-tuning future training
efforts to meet the requirements and interests of participants. In
addition, these monitoring efforts provided data to assess whether the objectives
of the workshops were accomplished.
- This Internet-Based Tobacco-Control Training and
Communications Program could serve as a model for neighboring CEE-NIS
and other countries and organizations concerned with tobacco control. The
program's resultant corps of Internet and computer literate public health
practitioners is experienced in using the Internet for research and communication
on tobacco issues and could be called upon as resources on tobacco control
and communications training. The project's various components including
the targeted information technology and skills transfer workshops, data
collection and evaluation system, international partners and resources,
program activities and events and the legislative advocacy agenda, provide
a road map that could be modified to suit local circumstances and tested
for establishment of Internet-based networks.
- Early availability of a promotional materials to publicize the project and published programs for workshops could have improved recruitment of participants and dissemination of project. A project brochure was produced approximately midway through the 18-month program. Had this been available at the beginning to all the District Hygiene Stations and health-focused NGOs, more participants, supporting partners and/or sponsors could have been recruited into the project. Similarly, early development of definitive workshop programs would have enhanced participation and project dissemination. The information could have been more effectively used in news releases to the public, other CEE countries and Czech legislators.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? E-mail CECHE at CECHE@comcast.net
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