Table 4.

SWOT Analysis of Working Group Sustainability.

Internal factors	External factors
Strengths	Opportunities
• Formative process with BFPI, Food PAC, and local stakeholders	• Provides policymakers with a way contribute to research
• Disseminated BHCK program findings quickly	• Researchers can engage policymakers easier
• Provided a platform to find ways to sustain the BHCK trial, discuss specific food policy, and prioritize food policy interests collaboratively	• Convened multiple sectors for regular engagement of policymakers
• Introduced and engaged policymakers to simulation modeling	• If food policies are implemented, opportunity to affect childhood obesity in Baltimore
	• Opportunity to affect various media sources through concerted efforts
Weaknesses	Threats
• Difficult to track policies	• Election year threatened the productivity and availability of the group (election campaigns, different mayor and city council members may have other agendas)
• Mainly public sector membership	• Timeline of researchers and policymakers differ
• No full-time staff person for the group and many leadership transitions	• Overlap of existing policy partnerships with Policy WG as a threat to future attendance
• Simulation model took time to create and policymakers had a learning curve

Note. SWOT = strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; BFPI = Baltimore Food Policy Initiative; BHCK = B’More Healthy Communities for Kids; Food PAC = Food Policy Advisory Committee.