The goal of this activity is to situate the MHP project within the context of ongoing operations of the setting. It involves defining the brief for the project, what problems it is expected to solve, what resources are likely to be involved etc. It also involves gathering information on existing activities within the setting. This activity is mainly an exercise in understanding the setting, the nature of its current health related activities and the nature of the problem which the MHP project will address.
An important task is to make an inventory of health activities which already take place within the setting. This information is important, not only because it prevents duplication of effort, but because it will provide a good level of insight into the health philosophy of the setting.
Information about current health activities and possible problems which may be solved by MHP programmes is usually gained by conducting interviews with the principal stakeholders.
Scoping the extent of the MHP project needs to be undertaken by someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the MHP process and who can provide information on what the project typically involves in terms of resources, types of activities, levels of commitment, etc. Some settings will have in-house expertise, for example from the occupational health department, the human resource department or from general management while other settings may need to bring in an external consultant to support this activity.