Implementation science as process ecology

Normalization Process Theory (NPT) identifies, characterizes, and explains mechanisms that motivate and shape implementation processes. NPT defines implementation as the translation of strategic intentions into everyday practices through collective action and collaborative work. This means that NPT focuses attention on the things that people do rather than their attitudes or beliefs. NPT studies explore processes in context: the ways in which implementation can lead to outcomes that include not only the degree to which innovations become part of everyday practice but also how they change the interactions and relationships, and the rules and resources, on which social action is founded.