Table 2.

Overview of the study’s 3-phase approach to developing the theory of change.

Phases	Description	Proposed methods
Phase 1: Deductive	Draft an initial theory of change based on existing theories and knowledge.	Conduct a narrative literature review on the health impacts of CCEa, focusing on the 5 shared Ottawa and Thunder Bay priorities.
Phase 2: Mental model articulation	Express the implicit assumptions or mental models of stakeholders.	Hold stakeholder workshops to provide feedback on the drafted theory of change and identify context-specific factors influencing outcomes.
Phase 3: Inductive	Validate and refine the theory of change using practical insights and external expertise.	Conduct semistructured interviews with experts in CCE and program evaluation for validation and refinement.

^aCCE: community-campus engagement.