Health Impact Assessment Capacity Building in Wisconsin

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a framework for inserting health into planning and policy-making processes. In 2009, Wisconsin's Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health (BEOH) was one of four state agencies awarded funding by ASTHO to build capacity among state and local partners to implement HIAs by providing training and technical assistance. BEOH conducted a baseline survey of local health departments' (LHD) existing HIA capacity and interest in training. Along with Human Impact Partners, BEOH provided two trainings for state/local stakeholders and worked with participants to develop case studies relevant to current planning or policy issues with intention to jumpstarting a HIA. BEOH also developed a Wisconsin-specific online toolkit and initiated an HIA listserv for practitioners to connect and collaborate. Sixty-five percent (n=63) of LHDs responded to the survey addressing current HIA capacity, and 30% of respondents were aware of the benefits of HIA. Only 3% of LHDs reported involvement in an HIA, yet 30% knew of proposed projects/policies that could benefit from an HIA. Sixteen diverse organizations and agencies attended the first training, including government, academia, and advocacy groups. The second training will involve more than 10% of LHDs throughout Wisconsin along with regional and local community counterparts. Increased HIA-capacity in Wisconsin is needed, as demonstrated by the discrepancy between HIA usage vs. identified need for HIAs. BEOH encountered challenges including limited resources, definition of roles, and methods to sustain capacity. However, this grant has fortified and expanded partnerships, setting the stage for successful implementation of HIA in Wisconsin.