Implementation Strategies
Evidence-informed techniques to change behavior, address barriers, and support consistent uptake of an intervention in practice.
Tips to Selecting Implementation Strategies
Interventions and Implementation Strategies
In the context of health care, an intervention refers to a program, pill, practice, procedure, policy, product, or principle [See the 7Ps], that has been shown to be effective.
Implementation strategies are ways teams support intervention delivery across settings and sustain it over time. Examples include training, facilitation, and audit with feedback.
Why is this step important?
To separate the intervention from implementation activities to introduce and test it – this helps planning and adaptation. Some interventions use proven strategies; others need new strategies based on the local context.
Success depends on aligning both your intervention and implementation strategies with your context and available resources.
What are the goals of this step?
Work with different types of partners – funders, supervisors, implementers (e.g., staff), and recipients (e.g. patients) – to select feasible strategies that guide intervention delivery.
Document/explain what was done to implement the intervention for learning and future efforts.
| Common Pitfalls | Actions to Avoid Them |
| Expecting one implementation strategy you initially pick to work perfectly. | Stay flexible. Strategies may need adaptation or replacement. |
| Picking strategies that are too intensive, complex, expensive, or do not fit the culture. | Be pragmatic when choosing strategies. |
| Selected strategies don’t impact barriers, or new barriers arise. | Be systematic when picking strategies that have high potential for big impact. |
| Strategies are poorly defined. | Define your strategies clearly. [See Detailed Guidance] |