Document resource
Background Meta-evaluation studies – evaluations of evaluations – assess the quality, credibility and usefulness of an evaluation or research process. These types of studies offer valuable insights for interpreting findings and guiding future research.The ESRC-funded SALIENT consortium brings together academic, government and food system partners to co-design, implement and evaluate a range of consumer-facing food system interventions targeting health and sustainability outcomes. Over 40 community and commercial food system organisations have engaged with SALIENT. Eight organisations progressed to evaluate eleven interventions.This meta-evaluation study aimed to understand how and why the SALIENT co-design process worked more or less well in different cases, and to synthesise learning to inform future co-designed food system interventions.Methods Using principles of Contribution Analysis, a Theory of Change (ToC) was created to describe how SALIENT activities were expected to improve health and sustainability outcomes. The ToC consisted of a logic chain to describe the SALIENT activities and assumptions that were considered necessary for the ToC to hold true. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 SALIENT stakeholders including government partners, research team members and food system organisation representatives with varying levels of SALIENT engagement. Data were analysed using Thematic Analysis and interpreted in relation to the ToC.Results Many assumptions outlined in the ToC were difficult to meet within the constraints of SALIENT. Stakeholders’ health and sustainability goals were misaligned with their fundamental interests. Implementing ambitious interventions was considered potentially burdensome and presented risks to commercial interests. Restrictive timelines and research requirements made it difficult to develop the necessary trust and commitment with some food system stakeholders. For some participating organisations, SALIENT was able to offer benefits, beyond resources and expertise, that resonated with the organisation’s operating model.Conclusion Our findings suggest that health and sustainability targets are aspirational for many food system organisations, rather than integral to current operating models. Our findings highlight the need for strong government leadership and incentives to ensure greater alignment of interests and demonstrate long-term commitment to drive health and sustainability improvements within the food system.