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This dissertation is an evaluation of an intervention designed to (a) increase the number of minority students who pursue graduate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and (b) to develop a cadre of qualified individuals from minority backgrounds who, upon finishing their training, are ready to take positions as faculty members and mentors. The Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) is a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support a pathway from undergraduate to graduate school and to a career in the professoriate. AGEP is part of an effort by the U.S. Government to keep the nations' competitive edge; redress historical gender and racial inequalities still prevalent at the higher levels of science and academia; and to use those who have reached the top of their professions as effective role models for the thousands of talented youth who are excluded from STEM fields due to real or perceived social, economic, or cultural barriers. As of September 2012, there were 178 colleges and universities grouped in 37 alliances nationwide and serving approximately 22,000 minority doctoral students. Specifically, this evaluation focuses on one alliance situated in the North Region of the United States, and presents the approaches, rationale, and findings of evaluation activities conducted during 2011 through 2012. The overarching goals of this evaluation were to assist program managers and staff in their efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of the program, and to provide them with information related to the program's contribution to increasing the recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented minorities (URMs) in STEM graduate programs, their transition into the professoriate, and the strength of the program's theory of change. To achieve these goals the evaluation design included a) the reconstruction of the program's theory, b) a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research; and c) analysis of primary data collected from a sample of current AGEP students, alumni, faculty, staff, and program officers. Primary data were collected through focus groups, interviews, and electronic surveys for current and former participants. The evaluation found evidence that the North Region program has been largely successful in contributing to the number of URM receiving STEM graduate degrees at both the master's and doctoral levels in North Carolina since its inception in 1999. Those who have received their graduate degrees are employed in academic and non-academic settings as practitioners, researchers, and as university faculty. Probably the most significant weakness was the absence of a systematic or coherent evaluation design of the program that could be found throughout the history of the program.

Sjuksköterskors praktiska kunskaper är avgörande för säker vård. Inom sjuksköterskeutbildningen kontrolleras färdigheter genom färdighetsexaminationer. Utifrån kartlagda brister i rättssäkerhet och arbetsmiljö vid färdighetsexaminationer initierades ett förbättringsarbete. Syftet med förbättringsarbetet var att förbättra processen för klinisk träning inom sjuksköterskeprogrammet genom att utveckla färdighetsexaminationer. En studie av förbättringsarbetet genomfördes i syfte att: Undersöka samsyn mellan lärare kring färdighetsexamination som pedagogisk aktivitet. Analysera och utveckla initial programteori utifrån intervjudata. Förbättringsarbete har utformats efter förbättringsmodellen, förbättringsrampen och programteoretisk ansats. Studie genomfördes med kvalitativa intervjuer och innehållsanalys utifrån en interaktiv och abduktiv ansats. Förbättringsarbetet resulterade i minskad variation mellan lärare i bedömningen av färdighetsexaminationer. Nya arbetssätt har lett till ökad samsyn mellan lärare och bättre arbetsmiljö. Programteorin reviderades utifrån intervjudata. Minskad variation visar på en ökad rättssäkerhet. Reviderad programteori har ökat möjligheten att dra lärdom av förbättringsarbetet såväl lokalt som generellt. Arbetet har bidragit till en utveckling av sjuksköterskeutbildningen och dess bidrag till en god och säker hälso- och sjukvård. / Nurses' practical knowledge is crucial for safe care. Within the nursing program skills are checked through clinical examinations. Based on identified deficiencies in terms of legal validity and working environment related to clinical examinations improvement work was initiated. The purpose of the improvement work was to improve the process of clinical training within the nursing program by developing the clinical examination. A study of the improvement work was conducted with the purpose of: Exploring teachers shared interpretations with clinical examinations as an educational activity. Analysing and developing initial program theory based on interview data. Improvement work was designed according to the model for improvement, improvement ramp, and a program theory approach. The study includes qualitative interviews with content analysis based on an interactive and abductive approach. The improvement work led to improved consensus between teachers and a better work environment. A reduction in variation between teachers’ assessments of clinical examinations was reached. The program theory was revised based on interview data. Reduced variation shows increased legal validity. Revised program theory has increased the possibility of learning from the improvement work both locally and in general. The work has developed the nursing education and its contribution to good and safe healthcare.

As SMEs transformation to sustainable practices in manufacturing, processing and services, is declared to be the key to a green growth model, the research in this thesis aims to understand in what way eco-labelling can be a part of that. In order to approach this complex issue, the thesis aims to identify the greening potential and the limits of contemporary eco-labelling schemes for SME product within the German coffee-processing sector. With regard to that, the thesis applied the policy evaluation method "Program Theory Evaluation" (PTE), which assesses a policy in place and thus provides information how the introduction and the function of eco-labelling schemes is observed and perceived by German coffee-processing SMEs (GCPS). Hence, based on a policy evaluation from a rational perspective, which has the focus on the policy’s problem-solving process and implementation cycle, the thesis reveals how eco-labelling schemes’ underlying theoretical greening strategy act in practice to German coffee-processing SME (GCPS). Thereby it could be evaluated that eco-labelling schemes imply shortcomings to address and green GCPS high quality coffee products. As the PTE-method aims also on optimizing the policy’s rationalisation, the inappropriate or failed implementation of eco-labelling schemes by GCPS has been further explored. To grasp the eco-labelling schemes extent of limits to green GCPS products, the thesis compares and analyses the policy evaluation results against the backdrop of eco-labelling schemes’ normative theoretical policy conception and in the light of "Environmental Authority of Political Consumerism (Ecological Modernisation Theory)". With regard to that, the thesis fosters a policy learning process and uncovers that eco-labelling scheme eco-labelling schemes potential to green GCPS products is limited and conditioned to this a lower level of sustainable value as they are focused to supply mainly the demand for mainstream coffee products. Hence, the thesis concludes that it is not the underlying rationality of eco-labelling schemes, namely being a consumer-oriented and market-based policy instrument that does not apply to green GCPS products. However, this opens up a new perspective as it points out a sustainable quality gap between products using eco-labelling schemes and non-labelled GCPS high quality products. In return this raises considerations in terms of improving eco-labelling schemes’ contribution to sustainable development. Thus the thesis argues to optimize their rationalization with regard to GCPS high quality products as frontrunners of tomorrow’s sustainability.

Andelen barn och ungdomar som befinner sig ett socialt utanförskap halkar efter alltmer i samhället. Att befinna sig ett socialt utanförskap kan medföra en rad negativa konsekvenser för såväl den enskilde individen som för samhället. Det finns ett stort behov av att belysa framgångsrika exempel på sociala innovationer, inriktade på unga i socialt utsatta områden, som kan förbättra deras välfärd och framtidsutsikter. Syftet med examensarbetet var att beskriva verksamheten ”Nattfotboll” utifrån programteori och undersöka dess förutsättningar för att skalas upp utifrån teorier om spridning av interventioner. Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ studiedesign bestående av en fokusgruppsintervju med initiativtagare och projektledare, semistrukturerade intervjuer med 10 ledare och 21 ungdomar samt tre strukturerade observationer i samband med idrottsaktiviteter i Sandviken och i Örebro. Resultatet visade att konceptet Nattfotboll kännetecknades av flera viktiga kärnkomponenter och nyckelidéer. De komponenter som tillskrevs mycket stor betydelse för utfallet var de unga, utvalda ledare som drev idrottsverksamheten, men även den lokala projektledaren. Verksamheten visade sig främja ett relationsbygge mellan ungdomarna och ledarna som var betydelsefullt: ungdomarna fick tillgång till unga förebilder, medan de unga ledarna kunde växa som individer. Verksamheten erbjuder en träffpunkt som bidrar till att ungdomar breddar sitt kontaktnät, blir mer fysiskt aktiva och erbjuds en väg in i föreningslivet, då många av ledarna själva är idrottsaktiva. Studien visar att Nattfotbollskonceptet innehåller de fem kategorier som är nödvändiga för en framgångsrik uppskalning; Kärnkomponenter & Nyckelidéer, Upplägg, Kommunikation, Resultatmätning & Feedback samt Ledarskap. Ytterligare forskning skulle kunna bidra till att fördjupa förståelsen för vad interventionen har för betydelse för ledarna som individer. / A great number of children and adolescents who are in a social exclusion is lagging behind in society. A social exclusion can lead to a number of negative consequences for both the individual and the community. There is a great need to highlight successful examples of social innovations aimed at young people in socially vulnerable areas that can improve their well-being and prospects. The aim of the thesis was to describe the innovation Night Football on the basis of program theory and also examine its conditions for scaling up on the basis of diffusion theory and a framework for spread. The study was conducted with a qualitative study design consisting of a focus group interview with initiators and project managers, semi-structured interviews with 10 leaders and 21 young participants, as well as three structured observations in connection with sports activities in Sandviken and Örebro. The result showed that the Night Football concept was characterized by several key core components and key ideas. The components attributed to the outcome were the young, chosen leaders who run the sport activities, but also the local project manager. The innovation turned out to promote important relationships between the young people and the leaders: young people gained access to young role models, while young leaders could grow as individuals. The innovation offers a meeting point that helps young people broaden their network of contacts, becomes more physically active and they are also offered a way into sports associations, as many of the leaders themselves are connected to sport clubs. The study shows that the Night Football concept contains the five categories necessary for a successful upscale; Core components & Key ideas, Structure, Communication, Performance Measurement & Feedback, and Leadership. Further research could help to deepen the understanding of the innovations impact on the leaders as individuals.

Inledning: Göteborgs kommun implementerade år 2013 en intervention i form av gratis utdelning av broddar till kommunens äldre befolkning (65+), i ett försök att reducera antalet fall/halkolyckor på is/snö. Syftet med detta papper var att se över om interventionen hade haft en effekt på incidensen av fotgängarolyckor gällande fall/halkskador bland kommunens äldre befolkning. Metod: Pappret applicerade en kontrollerad före– och efterstudie för att se på skillnader mellan en föreperiod (2009–2012), då halkskydd ännu inte var utdelade, mot en efterperiod (2013–2016) då interventionen hade implementerats. Resultat: När interventionsgruppen (65+) jämfördes mot kontrollgruppen (16–64) hade antalet incidenser på is/snö minskat med 34.36 fall/halkolyckor per 100 000 efter utdelningen av broddar. Liknande trender kunde inte utläsas när analyser gjordes mot närliggande kontrollkommuner. Placebotest visade heller inte på någon signifikant effekt för Göteborg då placebokontroller utfördes för tidigare observerade perioder (2003–2010). Slutsats: Resultaten tyder på att antalet fall/halkincidenser på is/snö bland äldre invånare i Göteborgs kommun har sjunkit med 36 procent efter kommunens åtgärd. / Introduction: In 2013, Gothenburg municipality implemented an intervention in the form of free distribution of anti-slip devices to the municipality’s elderly population (65+) to reduce the amount of falls/slips on ice/snow. The aim of this paper was to evaluate if the intervention had an effect on the incidence of pedestrian accidents involving falls/slips among the municipality’s elderly. Methods: This paper applied a controlled before-and-after study to test for differences between a before period (2009-2012), when anti-slip devices were not yet distributed, to an after period (2013-2016) when the intervention had been implemented. Results: When the intervention group (age 65+ years) was compared to the control group (age 16–64 years), the number of incidences had significantly decreased by 34.36 falls/slips on ice/snow per 100 000 person-years after the distribution of anti-slip devices had been made. Similar trends were not seen when analysis were done to nearby control municipalities. A placebo test did not show any significant effect of Gothenburg as placebo controls were made on earlier observed periods (2003-2010). Conclusion: The results suggest that the number of fall/slip incidences on ice/snow among the municipality’s elderly residents has been reduced by 36 percent after the municipal intervention.

Over the past twenty years, the idea that planning and development practices should be ‘sustainable’ has become a key tenet of discourses characterising the field of planning and development. As part of the agenda to balance and integrate economic, environmental and social interests, democratic participatory governance arrangements are frequently purported to be necessary to achieve ‘sustainable development’ at both local and global levels. Despite the theoretical disjuncture between ideas of democratic civic participation, on the one hand, and civic participation as a means to achieve pre-determined sustainability goals on the other, notions of civic participation for sustainability have become integral features of sustainable development discourses. Underpinned by a conceptual and methodological intent to perform an epistemological ‘break’ with notions of civic participation for sustainability, this thesis explicates how citizens are enrolled in the sustainable development agenda in the discourse of policy. More specifically, it examines how assumptions about civic participation in sustainable development policy discourses operate, and unpacks some discursive strategies through which policy language ‘enrols’ citizens in the same set of assumptions around their normative requirement for participation in sustainable development. Focussing in on a case study sustainable development policy document – a draft regional plan representing a case of ‘enrolling the citizen in sustainability’ - it employs three sociological perspectives/methods that progressively highlight some of the ways that the policy language enjoins citizens as active participants in ‘sustainable’ regional planning. As a thesis-by-publication, the application of each perspective/method is reported in the form of an article prepared for publication in an academic journal. In a departure from common-sense understandings of civic participation for sustainability, the first article examines the governmentality of sustainable development policy. Specifically, this article explores how civic community – particularly community rights and responsibilities – are deployed in the policy discourse as techniques of government that shape and regulate the conduct of subjects. In this respect, rather than seeing civic community as a specific ‘thing’ and participation as corresponding to particular types of ‘activities’, this paper demonstrates how notions of civic participation are constructed and mobilised in the language of sustainable development policy in ways that facilitate government ‘at a distance’. The second article begs another kind of question of the policy – one concerned more specifically with how the everyday practices of subjects become aligned with the principles of sustainable development. This paper, therefore, investigates the role of pedagogy in establishing governance relations in which citizens are called to participate as part of the problematic of sustainability. The analysis suggests that viewing the case study policy in terms of relationships of informal pedagogy provided insights into the positioning of the citizen as an ‘acquirer’ of sustainability principles. In this instance, the pedagogic values of the text provide for low levels of discretion in how citizens could position themselves in the moral order of the discourse. This results in a strong injunction for citizens to subscribe to sustainability principles in a participatory spirit coupled with the requirement for citizens to delegate to the experts to carry out these principles. The third article represents a further breakdown of the ways in which citizens become enrolled in ‘sustainable’ regional planning within the language of the case study policy. Applying an ethnomethodological perspective, specifically Membership Categorization Analysis, this article examines the way ‘the citizen’ and ‘civic values and obligations’ are produced in the interactional context of the text. This study shows how the generation of a substantive moral order that ties the citizen to sustainable values and obligations with respect to the region, is underpinned by a normative morality associated with the production of orderliness in ‘text-in-interaction’. As such, it demonstrates how the production and positioning of ‘the citizen’ in relation to the institutional authors of the policy, and the region more generally, are practical accomplishments that orient the reader to identify him/herself as a ‘citizen’ and embrace the ‘civic values and obligations’ to which he/she is bound. Together, the different conceptual and methodological approaches applied in the thesis provide a more holistic picture of the different ways in which citizens are discursively enrolled in the sustainability agenda. At the substantive level, each analysis reveals a different dimension of how the active citizen is mobilised as a responsible agent for sustainable development. In this respect, civic participation for sustainability is actualised and reproduced through the realms of language, not necessarily through applied occasions of civic participation in the ‘taken-for-granted’ sense. Furthermore, at the conceptual and methodological level, the thesis makes a significant contribution to sociological inquiry into relationships of governance. Rather than residing within the boundaries of a specific sociological perspective, it shows how different approaches that would traditionally be applied in a mutually exclusive manner, can complement each other to advance understanding of how governance discourses operate. In this respect, it provides a rigorous conceptual and methodological platform for further investigations into how citizens become enrolled in programmes of government.

Cette thèse a pour objet d’évaluer, de développer et de tester différentes méthodes qualitatives et manières d’évaluer ex-post les impacts et la contribution de la recherche sur les processus d’innovations et la société, par rapport à la transition à l’agriculture biologique.Nous avons réalisé deux cas d’études traitant de la transition à l’agriculture biologique. Le premier est le cas camarguais (en France) englobant un ensemble d’innovations techniques. Le second concerne le développement du produit biologique Ecostop pour protéger les abeilles contre la maladie de la varroatose en Bulgarie.Nous évaluons le potentiel d’une approche globale basée sur l’analyse participative du chemin de l’impact (PIPA) mais adaptée et complémentée par de nombreuses autres méthodes (premier article, partie 4), ainsi que le potentiel de l’analyse du réseau social (SNA) (deuxième article, partie 5) et de la théorie de l’acteur réseau (ANT) (troisième article, partie 6) pour l’évaluation ex-post des impacts et de la contribution de la recherche. Nous étudions les impacts de la recherche en Camargue et la manière dont ils ont été générés. Le cas Bulgare est seulement utilisé pour évaluer le potentiel d’ANT (avec le cas camarguais).L’approche basée sur PIPA permet d’évaluer avec succès les impacts et la contribution de la recherche. Nous avons pu mettre en évidence que la recherche a contribué au changement en Camargue à travers le développement d’interactions de co-apprentissage avec les producteurs bien que cela ne se soit pas avéré crucial pour le succès de l’innovation dans son ensemble. Les politiques agricoles, facteurs économiques, tests conduits indépendamment par les agriculteurs, et le cadre institutionnel, ont été les facteurs les plus importants et ayant eu le plus d’effets. En ce qui concerne SNA, il est apparu utile pour valider les dires des parties prenantes sur les relations entre acteurs ainsi que leurs implications sur la transition à l’agriculture biologique. Par exemple, le rôle grandissant joué par l’INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) au sein du réseau d’acteurs a été confirmé de même que sa contribution à la transition vers l’agriculture biologique. Quant à l’approche ANT, elle permet de mettre en avant les relations interpersonnelles d’acteurs et leurs effets sur le développement de l’innovation. Nous soulignons en particulier l’importance des leaders d’opinion au cours des phases d’implémentation et de diffusion ; et montrons également l’importance de problématiser les questions devant être traitées afin d’améliorer le succès des programmes de recherche. / This thesis intends to evaluate, develop and test different qualitative methods and ways of ex-post assessing the impacts and contribution of the research on innovation processes and the society, in relation to the transition to organic agriculture.We have conducted two case studies focusing on the transition to organic farming. First is the Camargue case (in France) that encompasses a broad range of technical innovations. Second is on the development of the organic product Ecostop to protect bees against the varroatosis disease in Bulgaria.We evaluate the potential of a broad approach based on the Participatory Impact Pathway Analysis (PIPA) and adapted & complemented by several other methods (first article, part 4), as well as the potential of the Social Network Analysis (SNA) (second paper, part 5) and of the Actor Network Theory (ANT) (third paper, part 6), in evaluating ex-post the impacts and contribution of the research. We study the impacts of the research in the Camargue and how they were generated. The Bulgarian case is only used to evaluate the potential of ANT (together with the Camargue case).The approach based on PIPA allows assessing successfully the impacts and contribution of the research. We could show that the research contributed to change in the Camargue by developing co-learning interactions with farmers although this was not critical to the success of the innovation as a whole. The agricultural policies, economic factors, the testing conducted independently by farmers, and the institutional framework, were the most important and influential factors. With respect to SNA, it was of interest to validate stakeholders’ views on actors’ relationships and their implications on the transition to organic farming. For example, the growing role played by INRA (National Research Agronomic Institute) within the actor network was confirmed as well as its contribution to the transition. As to ANT, it allows highlighting interpersonal actors’ relationships and their effects on the innovation development. We particularly underline the importance of opinion leaders in the phases of implementation and diffusion; and also show the importance of problematizing the issues to be tackled in order to increase the success of research programs.

Syftet med detta arbete är att få en bild av vilka faktorer som är mest betydelsefulla för att lära sig motoriska färdigheter i bollspel och koppla detta till lärandeteori. Finns det skillnader i uppfattning om man är nybörjare eller har erfarenhet från bollspel? Spelar kön och ålder någon roll? Vilken lärandeteori värderas högst? För att ge en bakgrund till problemställningen görs en genomgång av tidigare forskning och en beskrivning av två dominerande lärandeteorier, Generella motoriska programteorin och Dynamiska systemteorin med tillhörande didaktiska och motoriska begrepp inom lärande och bollspel. Frågor har ställts i enkätform till två olika undersökningsgrupper, dels 112 studenter från enheten Idrottsvetenskap vid Lärande och samhälle, Malmö högskola och dels 129 elever från grundskolan och gymnasieskolan i två mellanskånska orter. Undersökningsgrupperna har fått värdera faktorer som anses betydelsefulla för att lära sig motoriska färdigheter i bollspel. Svaren har bearbetats i statistikprogrammet SPSS så att frekvensfördelning, skillnader och samband kan analyseras. Resultaten i undersökning 1, på studenter, visar att Sociala och psykologiska faktorer somkommunikation och motivation är högst värderade. 90 % av studenterna har värderat motivation till högst betydelse för att lära sig färdigheter i bollspel. Studenternas värdering av faktorer som sammankopplas med lärandeteorierna GMP- och DS-teorin visar att båda teorierna värderas likvärdigt. Studenterna uppvisar också samstämmighet i förhållande till kön, ålder och bollspelserfarenhet. De skillnader som finns redovisas. Elevernas svar, i undersökning 2, visar att faktorer som indikerar engagemang och motivation, har den största betydelsen för att lära sig motoriska färdigheter i bollspel. Eleverna värderar faktorer som sammankopplas till DS-teorin och ett indirekt lärande signifikant högre än faktorer som sammankopplas till GMP-teorin och ett direkt lärande. Elevundersökningen uppvisar resultat med signifikanta skillnader mellan könen. Flickor värderar faktorer som indikerar engagemang signifikant högre än pojkarna. Pojkarna värderar faktorer som indikerar fysisk förmåga signifikant högre än flickorna. Enskilda faktorer som instruktion, repetition och demonstration, har flickor värderat signifikant högre än pojkar. Betydelsen av bollspelserfarenhet och ålder har inte spelat någon större roll för hur eleverna har gjort sina värderingar. / The purpose of this work is to understand which factors are most important in learning motor skills in ball games and attach this to learning theory. Are there differences in the perception if you are a beginner or have experience from ball games? Makes gender or age any difference? Which learning theory is most valued? To give a background to the issue, a review of previous research and a description of the two dominant learning theories, General motor program theory and Dynamical systems theory is done together with didactic aspects and motor concept in learning and ball games. Questions have been raised in the questionnaire form to two different study groups, and 112 students from the institution of Sports and Science at Learning and society, Malmö University and part 129 pupils from a primary school and a secondary school in Skåne.Investigation teams have been assessing factors considered to be significant in learning motor skills in ball games. The answers have been processed in SPSS statistical programme, so that the frequency distribution, variation and correlation can be analyzed. The result of survey 1, students, reveals that the social and psychological factors such as communication and motivation are most valued. 90% of students have assessed motivation to a maximum importance to learn skills in ball games. Students ' evaluation of factors linked to learning theories GMP and DS theory shows that both theories are valued equally. Students demonstrate coherence in relation to gender, age and ball game experience. The differences are accounted for. The pupils ' responses, in study 2, shows that the factors which indicates commitment and motivation, have the greatest importance in learning motor skills in ball games. The pupils in this survey value factors linked to DS theory and an indirect learning significantly higher than factors linked to the GMP theory and direct learning. The pupils´ survey results show significant differences between the sexes. Girls value the factors indicating commitment significantly higher than boys. The boys value the factors that indicate physical ability significantly higher than the girls. Individual factors such as instruction, rehearsal and demonstration, have girls valued significantly higher than boys. The importance of ball game experience and age has not played a major role in how the pupils have done their values.

Barn och unga med ett frihetsberövat syskon har en ökad risk för psykisk ohälsa och kriminalitet och är därmed i behov av socialt stöd. Dessvärre har målgruppen tidigare försummats i såväl forskning som praktik och stödbehovet har därmed inte tillgodosetts. 2021 implementerade dock Bufff projektet Bryta mönster med målet att utveckla och förbättra stödet till målgruppen. Rådande studie har genom fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med verksamma inom projektet, analyserat projektets programteoretiska grund och dess upplevda och förväntade effekter samt identifierat utmaningar som verksamma möter i arbetet med projektet. Resultatet åskådliggjorde hur projektets aktiviteter bemöter både emotionella och instrumentella behov och riktas mot såväl syskonen själva som personer och verksamheter i deras omgivning. Därmed stärks både syskonen och de prosociala nätverken runtomkring vilket uppgavs vara effektivt för att minska risken för psykisk ohälsa och kriminalitet. Resultatet synliggjorde dock utmaningar i att identifiera och nå fram till både syskonen själva men även till relevanta verksamheter som kan tänkas uppmärksamma och utveckla sitt stöd till målgruppen. Dessa utmaningar uppgavs dock minska i takt med att målgruppen i högre grad uppmärksammas. Överlag framgick därmed en positiv bild av detta unika projekt och dess förmåga att synliggöra och förbättra stödet till barn och unga med ett frihetsberövat syskon. / Children and youths with an incarcerated sibling have an increased risk of mental health issues and criminality and thus require social support. Unfortunately this target group has previously been neglected in both research and practice, and their needs of support have therefore not been met. However in 2021 the Bufff implemented the project Breaking Patterns with the aim of developing and improving support for this target group. The current study has, through four semi-structured interviews with practitioners, analyzed the project’s program theory and its perceived and expected effects, as well as identified challenges encountered by practitioners in working with the project. The results illustrated how the project includes activities that address both emotional and instrumental needs, targeting both the siblings themselves and individuals and organizations in their environment. Consequently, both the siblings and the prosocial networks around them are strengthened, which was said to be effective in reducing the risk of mental health issues and criminality. However, the results highlighted challenges in identifying and reaching both the siblings themselves and relevant organizations that could potentially enhance their support for the target group. Nevertheless, these challenges were reported to decrease as awareness of the target group increases. Overall, a positive picture emerged of this unique project and its ability to highlight and improve support for children and young people with an incarcerated sibling.