Policy initiatives in a childhood obesity prevention consortium: Lessons learned for multi-member organizations

The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC; www.clocc.net) is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention consortium comprised of hundreds of organizations working to alleviate the Chicago childhood obesity epidemic. The need for policy and environmental change strategies in public health is well-documented and widely accepted. This presentation will detail the policy work of CLOCC, including the special considerations taken when advocating on behalf of a consortium with many partners. The presentation will include a description of CLOCC's Policy Review Protocol, a deliberative process used by CLOCC staff and its multidisciplinary/multi-sector Executive Committee to make decisions on specific policy-related initiatives. This protocol is increasingly adopted for use by CLOCC's partner organizations. The presentation will also detail CLOCC's involvement in helping to create, grow, and sustain the City of Chicago's Inter-Departmental Task Force on Childhood Obesity, which now includes thirteen city governmental agencies. A description of CLOCC's policy and advocacy work with local community-based organizations, including faith-based institutions, will be provided. The presentation will conclude with the national unveiling of CLOCC's new Policy Agenda, as well as details of the year-long participatory process used for its development.