Policy changes presents challenges—which is why the Partnership team has worked to establish a set of tools and resources to help cities bring their ideas into fruition.
Launched in September 2021, the Partnership for Healthy Cities Policy Accelerator supports cities in establishing the technical foundations and political strategies needed to create and implement local health policies that prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, including navigating the complex social and political hurdles to adoption. It provides training and support that puts health leaders in the driver’s seat as they work on actual problems they are facing, making change much more likely. The Accelerator places best-in-class tools, methods and expertise at the fingertips of participants that they can leverage for future challenges.
For more information, contact cities4health@vitalstrategies.org.
Over the course of six months cities access intensive technical assistance on policy development and advocacy through curriculum-based engagement and collaborative learning and exchange. The Policy Accelerator engages and guides city government participants through the following steps in the policy process:
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Have a question?
The Policy Accelerator is an intensive program. Cities are expected to commit 2-4 hours per week toward live webinars and/or asynchronous work. However, this may vary week to week. In addition, city focal points meet every month to touch base on policy development and provide technical support and assistance. Teams should be available to join and participate in most sessions and meetings. The program also requires teams complete relevant tasks with technical support and assistance provided by the facilitators.
Explore news and stories from the program below.
For the purposes of this program:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations:
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/policy/opaph/process/definition.html
Applications for 2023 are now closed. Please email cities4health@vitalstrategies.org for more information.
All cities currently active within the PHC network are eligible to apply when submissions are open. Cities that participated in previous Policy Accelerator cohorts should speak with their Partnership for Healthy Cities focal point prior to applying.
Successful applicants will have identified pressing problems in the city related to NCDs or injuries, considered policy solution ideas to address these problems, and have a basic understanding of their legal authority to enact such policies.
“Policy” is defined as a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, or mandatory practice of governments and other institutions. Ideally, the proposed policy should aim to address an institutional change in practice, operate at-scale, and influence practice for the whole of the affected population, or city-wide.
We offer continued, contextualized technical assistance, covering data, legal, communication and subject-matter expertise. A key component of the Policy Accelerator entails the creation of teams of technical experts that collaborate with city counterparts to facilitate and enable the effective development and adoption of NCD- and injury prevention policies. We also convene city-to-city exchanges, virtually and/or in-person, for PA cities to exchange ideas, share challenges and potential strategies for success, and compare experiences.
Yes. Each selected city is awarded 75,000 USD to develop and enact their policy. Prior to the funding being disbursed, cities must identify how the funding will advance a robust policy proposal that addresses NCD- or injury prevention. The funding may not be used for stand-alone projects or communications activities.
Please contact cities4health@vitalstrategies.org.