Oral Presentations (pp. 78–93)

Rationale and Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to develop clarity around the use of the term capacity building within the field of public health nutrition (PHN). The objectives of this study were to assess agreement between how people understand the term and to build a common understanding of capacity building relevant to PHN practice. Materials and Methods: The Delphi technique was selected for this study in order to determine aspects of capacity building in PHN practice. The study consisted of three rounds of questionnaires whereby participants were asked to rank the importance of different attributes of capacity building on a five point Likert scale. The expert panel was made up of PHN leaders, skilled practitioners and researchers who were recruited from existing PHN networks and interest groups. Approximately 300 nutritionists from Australia, the UK, Canada and the USA were invited to participate in the study. Forty-five experts agreed to initially take part in the study. Forty-five experts agreed to initially take part in the study, and of these 34 completed all three rounds of questionnaires. Results and Findings: Consensus was defined as a reduction in variation between responses from one round to the next. The determinants of capacity building that obtained the highest level of expert agreement include: partnerships, human resources, community participation, leadership, workforce competencies and preparedness, needs assessment, problem solving ability, and knowledge transfer. Conclusion: Increasing awareness and understanding of capacity building enables better application of its principles in PHN practice. The results of this consensys study will also be used to inform the development of a checklist for the planning and evaluating capacity building strategies within PHN practice