From making pamphlets to making policies: results from a collaborative training to increase knowledge, motivation, and self-efficacy for achieving public health policy and systems change.

Steps to a Healthier Washington, in collaboration with other programs in the Washington State Department of Health and external partners, has implemented training to improve public health practice and create greater organizational and staff capacity for promoting effective policy and systems changes, including reducing disparities. The training is grounded in behavior change and adult learning theories. A comprehensive post training evaluation found long-term improvements in self-efficacy, reported changes in work, and attribution of those changes to the training. Organizations working to refocus public health work on policy and systems change should consider providing skills-based policy training to their staff. This study suggests that an integrated training, using adult learning theory, has led to long-term improvements in capacity among public health staff and partners.