Normalization Process Theory (NPT)

Normalization Process Theory (NPT) is a sociological framework developed by Carl May and colleagues to explain how new interventions become routinely embedded ('normalized') in organizational and clinical practice. Unlike efficiency-focused frameworks that measure adoption and fidelity, NPT explains the social processes through which interventions transition from external innovations to normal practice. NPT identifies four key mechanisms (Coherence, Cognitive Participation, Collective Action, Reflexive Monitoring) that collectively determine whether an intervention becomes 'the way we do things here' or remains a temporary project.