Background: The pathway from vision to reality is often hard to find. Without a clear pathway, people and organisations too easily lose their way in the rush to act. Tobacco control interventions, at all levels, need careful design if they are to navigate the challenging territory. They need edges if they are to be a pathway from vision to reality. This presentation will describe two interrelated models designed for leading multi-level change that offer shape and focus for channelling energy directly from vision to reality. For each model, its practical application to addressing smoking will be described.

Strategy: The Harakeke design, used in Starting Smokefree, is a pathway to multilevel change that places the developing child, at the centre and works to build supportive environments outwards, firstly around the child, through supporting parents, then family, professionals, organisations and community. The Wheel of Influence, used in Smokefree Children, is a coordination model and a highly cost-effective pathway for developing broad participation, building the capacity to lead and extending influence. It works to increase leverage from a small resource through drawing a network of people to a focused form of action, connecting them to each other and supporting them to take that action in their own settings. The connectedness, common focus and ongoing support creates the force for change.

Conclusion: These models are behind the programmes of Education for Change and offer a pathway from rhetoric to practice, from published evidence to protected people, from health vision to personal reality.