Building Coalitions

Objective  Explore successful strategies to create and develop a plan of action for effective partnerships to improve public education in Georgia.

What is a coalition? A multi-issue coalition has related issues and is a more permanent group that recognizes the benefit of long-term mobilization. A group of organizations and individuals working together for a common purpose A one issue or event coalition needs only to agree on one issue and will dissolve when the issue or event is resolved or completed.

Why build a coalition? Strength in numbers Combining resources Elimination of duplication Improving public image Improving communication Consistency of information Achieve a common goal

How to build a coalition?  Partnerships (activity) What groups are you a part of currently?  Ex. Garden club, Elks, Volunteer firefighter, Junior League, Sorority, Fraternity How could they help with improving public education?  Natural Alliances  Potential Alliances, or swing groups  Interior (education related, ex. PTA, Boosters, school council)  Exterior (ex. Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club)

What is/are the issue(s) The issue(s) may vary but the individuals and groups involved must understand and embrace the ultimate goal of the coalition.

Organization of the Coalition Planning  Message Development  ID potential relatives  ID Team Members  Set logical and achievable goals, objectives, activities and timelines, and put in writing Roles and Responsibilities  Leader (who has access to necessary resources)  Facilitator  Individual and group tasks

Organization (continued) ‾ Planning (cont’d) Review, assess, and make needed changes periodically Celebrate achievements

Maintaining the Coalition Generally, dealings between organizations are harmonious because the groups see the value and benefit of combining resources. However, coalitions need to exist only as long as it is useful to its members.

Challenges When coalitions disintegrate before achieving their goals, it has usually fallen victim to one of these defects:  Poor communication – failure to keep members informed about the policies and actions of the organization; lack of information is a prime reason for believing the coalition has been ineffective and for dropping out.

Challenges (cont’d)  Lack of interim rewards for members – the failure of a coalition to show some concrete results short of ultimate victory often discourages its members  Loss of key leaders – an organization may develop a serious vulnerability if one dominant leader prevents others from sharing power

Challenges (cont’d)  Serious irreconcilable splits over the coalition’s direction – may suggest the coalition was weak to begin with, perhaps because it lacked requirements for cohesion, such as ideological ties.  Change in conditions – a coalition may be unable to adapt to circumstances that were not present when it was first formed.

Challenges (cont’d)  Delay – members expect the coalition to achieve its main objective within a reasonable time  “Turfism” – the non-cooperation or conflict between organizations with seemingly common goals or interests; the conflict arises from perceptions of incompatible goals and/or threats, causing the members to “defend their turf”

Creating Sustainable Organizational Change – Key Factors Culture + Plan + Vision + Stakeholders + Training + Goals = Change Plan + Vision + Stakeholders + Training + Goals = Fallback Culture + Vision + Stakeholders + Training + Goals = Confusion Culture + Plan + Stakeholders + Training + Goals = No Direction Culture + Plan + Vision + Training + Goals = No Buy-in Culture + Plan + Vision + Stakeholders + Goals = Change Culture + Plan + Vision + Stakeholders + Training = False Start

Action Plan Where do you go from here? Use the information gathered here to build an effective coalition to deal with issues that arise Use the Action Plan Template as a guide in building coalitions for short and long term goals Understanding the power of numbers and using coalitions to advance the efforts of the Association