**Research Context** Building on work done within Policy Evaluation Network PEN and flanking the work in PEN WP 4 (frameworks and determinants and barriers for implementation), the systematic map will identify variables and variable constellations associated with implementation processes. We will analyze the role and significance of these variables in different policy fields under different. Reflecting the health focus of the Policy Evaluation Network (Lakerveld et al., 2019 PEN Statement paper), we will focus on the policies: sweetened beverages (SSB) taxation, promotion of physical activity and of active transport. These three policy fields differ systematically with regard to the preferred policy types (regulatory, distributive, constituent, redistributive), main instruments applied (communicative, regulatory, economic means), and implementation style (centralized vs. decentralized). More concrete: While SSB taxation as financial instrument is a core competence of the state, the field of physical activity promotion is characterized by a mix of policy instruments that will depend on target group, setting, culture, and wider political context. Active transport, on the other hand, might be largely predetermined by the implemented technical-administrative system. By combining approaches from implementation science and public policy, we will investigate the relationship between types of policy and instrument used, implementation actors and styles, context factors, the interplay of different variables and their explanatory value for the implementation process in a comparative way (i.e., cross-country variation, within country variation in different sectors). **Research question** Aim of the work is first, to identify variables that are associated with implementation processes, and second, to investigate how these variables interact to describe and explain implementation processes. The overall research question of the study is: Are there core variables and process patterns of public policy implementation processes that can be identified for specific policies (SSB taxation, PA promotion, active transport) and between countries targeting the whole population? The research question reflects the so-called PICO elements, being an acronym for population, intervention, comparator and outcome. The study population covers the whole population as we are analyzing public policies. 5 The intervention focus lies on public policies, that means policies issued by public bodies/actors targeting SSB taxations, PA promotion and active transport within the general population. Studies must compare either implementation processes between countries or within countries between policy fields or against predefined theoretical assumption. The outcome is policy implementation or no implementation.