The ASPIRE Standards: Taking a Step Towards Quality Assurance in Drug Prevention in France – A Case Study

INTRODUCTION: In the favourable political climate of the mid-2010s, the standards for Assessment & Selection of Prevention programmes Issued from the Review of EDPQS (ASPIRE) were developed to support project planning in drug prevention.

METHODS: This case study is a narrative from the main coordinator responsible for drafting this quality assurance material.

RESULTS: The framework that led to the creation of the ASPIRE standards is described. The production process is then explained and, thereby, the 12 ASPIRE standards resulting from it are presented. These quality standards and their associated attributes form a coherent quality assessment checklist that provides guidance for needs assessment, theoretical basis, and planned resources. Quality compliance is assessed against a scoring system. Finally, the needs for improvement are discussed, including the dissemination of the standards.

CONCLUSIONS: The ASPIRE material has high potential for transferability. However, a promotion strategy and evaluation results are needed to improve the dissemination of such tools and their ownership by prevention stakeholders.