Assessing the fit and feasibility of programs or practices within a given context is a critical step for ensuring successful implementation and achievement of equitable outcomes. Fit is defined as how well the program or practice aligns with the implementing site and focus populations’ perceptions of strengths and needs, values, culture, and history, other initiatives and priorities, as well as internal capacity resources available for implementation. Feasibility is defined as how well the program or practice can be integrated into the implementing site based on how operationalized the program or practice is, the supports available at the site to support implementation, and the strength and availability of research data.
Read more about best practices for assessing contextual fit and feasibility.
What Tools or Resources Are Available to Assess Fit and Feasibility?
The Hexagon Discussion and Analysis Tool is designed to assess the fit and feasibility of new and existing practices across six domains: evidence, support, usability, need, fit and capacity.
Implementation support practitioners can use the following resources to facilitate use of the Hexagon Tool:
- Initiative Inventory: This tool can be used to gather information on current initiatives and implementation efforts.
- Developer Interview Guide: This protocol includes questions designed to gather information from developers on resources and supports available for implementation of a practice or program
- Stakeholder Engagement Guide: This resource provides guidance to ensure representative stakeholders are engaged on the implementation team.
- Root Cause Analysis Resources: These resources can guide teams through two possible root cause analyses: The Fishbone Diagram and the Five Whys. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a process used to investigate and categorize the root cause of a problem, barrier or challenge.