Developing a timeline

Prior to beginning any project, it is essential to establish a realistic timeline with clear and achievable goals and milestones.

There are four key phases to the Food Dudes Programme in schools as shown below:

Baseline

4 days

Phase 1

16 days

Phase 2

Up to 1 year

Phase 3

Ongoing

1. Baseline (at least 4 days). During this phase, children’s consumption of fruit and vegetables is measured before the Food Dudes Programme is introduced.

2. Phase 1 is the initial 16-day intervention phase, during which children are introduced to the “Food Dudes” who, via DVD adventures, letters and rewards, encourage them to eat fruit and vegetables. This introduction provides opportunities for children to sample fruit and vegetables, and, in the process, develop a liking for them. Phase 1 procedures can either take place at snacktime or lunchtime at school.

3. Phase 2 is the “maintenance” phase of the programme, in which the school supports the children’s increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, for example, through the use of class wall charts and certificates. This phase lasts for up to a year and the aim is for the school to move towards a self-sustaining system of rewarding fruit and vegetable consumption to ensure that a culture of healthy eating is maintained over time.

4. Phase 3 is ongoing by which time schools will have developed their own systems of supporting healthy eating. It is also very important to involve the new intake of children each year, to introduce them to the Food Dudes and the healthy eating culture of the school.

In addition to building in these four phases, the project timeline will need to allow sufficient time for engaging stakeholders, fundraising, and project set-up (i.e., school recruitment, material preparation and arranging adequate supply of fruit and vegetables to schools). Details of each of these stages are provided in subsequent sections.