In principle, this provides a fertile ground for developing such networks. The flow of better evaluation evidence could be increased if academics were to focus more on developing these networks, and in finding and developing common areas of interest between practitioners in local authorities and public health researchers. In the long run this may be more fruitful than emphasising differences and fostering the view that evaluation research is difficult. This
qualitative study suggests that there may be more common ground, and more windows of opportunity, than are sometimes realised.