1. The Power of Coalitions: Better Outcomes for Children
Sue Matson, MA, CPP
Jamie Katz, MPH, CPP

2. Building a Coalition is like…
Creating an Orchestra

3. At first it might be pretty noisy and a bit unorganized!

4. But the result…
…is worth it!

5. Discussion Activity What is a community coalition?
Name three benefits of a community coalition.
Name one example of a coalition: locally or nationally

6. What is a Community Coalition?
A community coalition is a partnership of individuals or organizations working to influence outcomes on specific problems.
Many coalitions utilize evidence-based models and tools to support their work
(e.g. Strategic Prevention Framework, Communities That Care Model)

7. Top reasons to start a coalition
Demonstrate & develop support & responsibility for a community issue
Maximize the power of individuals and groups through collective action
Build strength and cohesiveness by connecting individuals and organizations
Improve trust and communication between agencies and organizations
Increase community participation and leadership

8. Top reasons to start a coalition
Mobilize diverse talents, resources, and strategies
Change community norms and social acceptance
Share costs and associated risks
Share power and reduce potential conflicts
Reach outcomes that any one organization could not do alone

9. Do you need a coalition?
Does the issue affect a broad range of people?
Does the issue require expertise from various community sectors?
Do other organizations see this issue as a priority?
Are other organizations willing to work together on this issue?
Are potential members willing to commit to joint decision-making?
Do goals of potential members align with the coalition’s goals?
Can resources be shared or obtained to assist with the work?

10. Building an Effective Coalition
- Conduct an assessment of community problems, needs, strengths, gaps, and resources
- Develop your leadership team
- Recruit diverse community organizations and convene the coalition
- Develop a Strategic Plan – logic model, vision, mission, goals, objectives,
- Develop an Action Plan with realistic strategies
- Implement and sustain strategies to reach goals. Incorporate cultural competence into the work.
- Evaluate and improve the coalition and its strategies

11. How to take action in your community?
Learning what issues matter to the community, and what resources may be available.
Planning provides overall direction on the road that leads from where things are now to where we hope they will be. It can be helpful for a group to develop a clear vision, a mission statement, objectives, strategies, and an action plan.
You have identified something that you and your community care about, and it is time to take action. This involves mobilizing people around the effort and implementing some sort of intervention.
How do you know that your initiative is working? It’s important to monitor what is happening and make adjustments as necessary.
Some important work has been started. How do you keep your efforts going?

12. Assessment Understand the relationship between community issues.
Identify root causes.
Validate assumptions with community data.
Achieve consensus among coalition members.
Establish criteria for selecting interventions.
Create a picture of the problem and its causes (aka a logic model).

13. Problem Analysis – Root Cause
But Why?
Problem
But Why
Here?

14. SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Internal factors or challenges that prevent a coalition from taking advantage of opportunities or reducing barriers
Internal factors that allow a coalition to take advantage of opportunities
External factors that hinder a coalition’s ability to attain of goals, sustain momentum, or impacts survival
External factors that allow a coalition to take action, build membership, or improve community

15. Capacity Building

16. Capacity Building
Capacity building: Increasing the ability and skills of individuals, groups and organizations to plan, undertake, and manage initiatives.
CADCA, Capacity Primer
Building coalition capacity involves:
Membership – the right mix of stakeholders
Leadership – transformational leaders
Organization - coalition infrastructure
Cultural competence

17. Membership
A successful coalition should involve membership from diverse representation of the community.
12 sectors
Business
Civic / Volunteer Groups
Media
Healthcare Professionals
Schools
Law Enforcement
Government
Others
Youth
Youth Serving Organizations
Identify Community Sectors
Parent
Religious / Fraternal Organizations

18. Transformational Leaders
Committed, Passionate, Visionary
Let go of things others can do
Encourage ideas & risk-taking
Ensure that people have goals & know how they’re doing
Delegate to challenge, develop & empower
Coach to ensure success
Reinforce good work & attempts
Share information, knowledge & skills
Value, trust & respect each individual
Provide support without taking over
Practice what they preach

19. Planning Documents (timelines, action plans, logic model, etc.)
Organization - Coalition Infrastructure
Decision Making
Leadership Roles and Job Descriptions
By-Laws
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Agendas, Meeting Minutes, Roster, etc.
Planning Documents
(timelines, action plans, logic model, etc.)

20. Capacity Building Activity: Community Sector Worksheet
Brainstorm potential stakeholders to invite to your coalition

21. Planning
Planning is a process of developing a logical sequence of strategies and steps leading to outcomes and community-level change.
Logic Model
Strategic Plan
Vision
Mission
Goals
Objectives
Strategies
Action Steps/Activities
Measureable Outcomes

22. Grantors do not fund the greatest need, they fund an opportunity to make a difference.

23. Logic Model Problem Statement Root Causes Local Conditions
Why those root causes exist in the community
Specific
Identifiable
Actionable

24. Underage Drinking Stores sell to minors Easy Access to Alcohol
Adults provide alcohol at
home parties
Underage
Drinking
Tailgating before
sporting events
Community Norms
Alcohol sales/ marketing at all festivals
Problem Statement
But Why Here?
But Why?

25. Vision Statement Short phrases that convey hope for the future
A dream. Ideal conditions for your community. How things would look if the issue were perfectly addressed.
Short phrases that convey hope for the future
Shared by members & easily communicated
Broad enough to include diverse viewpoints
Inspiring & uplifting
Examples:
“Optimal behavioral health for Johnson County residents”
“A healthy community for all”
“Safe Streets, Safe neighborhoods”

26. Mission Statement
Describes what the group is going to do and why it’s going to do it.
Concise: Gets point across in 1 sentence.
Outcome-oriented: Explains outcomes the coalition is working to achieve.
Inclusive: Doesn’t limit sectors or strategies that may be involved in projects.
Should inspire members to action.
Examples:
“To improve mental health and decrease substance abuse among Johnson County residents through enhancements in related knowledge, behaviors, environments, and policies.”
“Working together to promote a safe and healthy community.”
“Promoting community health and development by connecting people, ideas, and resources.”

27. Goals
A goal states intent and purpose. It supports the vision and mission statements.
Identify in broad terms how your initiative is going to change things in order to solve the problem you have identified.
Describe the kind of changes you want to see occur.
Long range – not time dependent.
Examples:
"To reduce the number of youth in our community who drink alcohol."

28. Specific measurable results for the initiative's goals.
Objectives
Specific measurable results for the initiative's goals.
Behavioral objectives. These objectives look at changing the behaviors of people (what they are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behaviors.
For example, a neighborhood improvement group might develop an objective around having an increased amount of home repair taking place (the behavior), or of improved housing (the result).
Community-level outcome objectives. These are related to behavioral outcome objectives, but are focused more at the community level instead of the individual level.
For example, the same group might suggest increasing the percentage of decent affordable housing in the community as a community-level outcome objective.
Process objectives. These are the objectives that refer to the implementation of activities necessary to achieve other objectives.
For example, the group might adopt a comprehensive plan for improving neighborhood housing.
Examples:
By 2016 (by when), to increase by 20% (how much) those elders reporting that they are in daily contact with someone who cares about them (of what).
By 2016, to have made a 40% increase in youth graduating from high school. (Community -level outcome objective)

29. Strategies How the organization will reach its goals and objectives
Providing Information
Educational presentations, workshops, seminars
e.g., public announcements, brochures, dissemination, billboards, community meetings, forums, web-based communication
Enhancing Skills
Workshops, seminars or other activities designed to increase the skills of participants, members and staff
e.g., training, technical assistance, distance learning, strategic planning retreats, curricula development

30. Strategies Providing Support
Creating opportunities to support people to participate in activities that reduce risk or enhance protection
e.g., providing alternative activities, mentoring, referrals, support groups or clubs
Enhancing Access/Reducing Barriers
Improving systems and processes to increase the ease, ability and opportunity to utilize those systems and services
e.g., assuring healthcare, childcare, transportation, housing, justice, education, safety, special needs, cultural and language sensitivity

31. Strategies Changing Consequences (Incentives/Disincentives)
Increasing or decreasing the probability of a specific behavior that reduces risk or enhances protection by altering the consequences for performing that behavior
e.g., increasing public recognition for deserved behavior, individual and business rewards, taxes, citations, fines, revocations/loss of privileges
Physical Design
Changing the physical design or structure of the environment
e.g., parks, landscapes, signage, lighting, outlet density
Modifying/Changing Policies
Formal change in written procedures, by-laws, proclamations, rules or laws with written documentation and/or voting procedures
e.g., workplace initiatives, law enforcement procedures and practices, public policy actions, systems change within government, communities and organizations

32. Action Steps/Activities
Describes in detail how strategies will be implemented to accomplish the objectives developed previously.
The key aspects of the intervention or (community and systems) changes to be sought are outlined in the action plan.
Action step(s): What will happen
Person(s) responsible: Who will do what
Date to be completed: Timing of each action step
Resources required: Resources and support (both what is needed and what's available )
Barriers or resistance, and a plan to overcome them!
Collaborators: Who else should know about this action

33. Planning Activity
Brainstorm one strategy and three action steps needed for implementation.

34. Implementation
The fun part — where communities do what they’ve said they’re going to do. 
Things to keep in mind:
Has the coalition followed the action plan?
Are strategies being implemented with fidelity?
Is consideration being given to cultural competence in the implementation of strategies?
Are adaptations needed?
Are there any barriers to implementation of the intended strategies?

35. Monitoring, sustaining, improving, or replacing
Evaluation
A coalition’s planned and careful use of information to understand its work and relationship to goals.
Monitoring, sustaining, improving, or replacing
Benefits:
Improvement
Coordination
Accountability
Celebration
Sustainability

36. Standards For “Good” Evaluation
There are a set of 30 standards that assess the quality of evaluation activities, determining whether a set of evaluative activities are well-designed and working to their potential.
The 30 standards are organized into the following four groups:
Utility standards - ensure that an evaluation will serve the information needs of intended users.
Feasibility standards - ensure that an evaluation will be realistic, prudent, diplomatic and frugal.
Propriety standards - ensure that an evaluation will be conducted legally, ethically and with due regard for the welfare of those involved in the evaluation, as well as those affected by its results.
Accuracy standards - ensure that an evaluation will reveal and convey technically adequate information about the features that determine worth or merit of the program being evaluated.

37. Steps In Evaluation Engage stakeholders Describe the program
Focus the evaluation design
Gather credible evidence
Justify conclusions
Ensure use and share lessons learned

38. Questions that Create an Evaluation Plan
Who cares?
What do they care about?
Where is the information?
How will we get it?
How will we share it?

39. Margaret Mead Questions? Thank You!
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Questions?
Thank You!