Piloting interventions within a community-based participatory research framework: lessons learned from the healthy environments partnership.

BACKGROUND: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships experience unique opportunities and dilemmas when implementing pilot interventions. OBJECTIVES: We describe challenges and opportunities associated with conducting a pilot intervention within a longstanding CBPR partnership, lessons learned for use of a participatory process to pilot community interventions, and recommendations to funders on mechanisms for funding pilot interventions to help address these challenges. METHODS: We conducted key informant interviews and convened a group discussion with host organization leaders and project personnel. LESSONS LEARNED: Findings highlight the opportunities and challenges related to needs and desires of community constituents and the ability of pilot interventions to meet those needs, and the importance of ongoing communication to address anticipated and unanticipated challenges that arise in the context of short-term pilot interventions in community settings. CONCLUSION: We suggest several funding mechanisms for supporting the implementation of larger scale interventions following promising pilot efforts in community settings.