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COMMUNITY COALITIONS
The following material
has been adapted from a presentation by Steve Ridini, Ed.D.,
Northeast CAPT Associate and The Medical Foundation, Wilmington,
Delaware, April 2003.
Definition
A community coalition is:
"An organization of individuals
representing diverse organizations, factions or constituencies
who agree to work together in order to achieve a common
goal." (E. Feighery and T. Rogers, 1989)
Powers of Coalitions
Community coalitions have the
power to:
• Address new and broader
issues;
• Develop widespread support for issues;
• Maximize the power of individuals;
• Minimize duplication of services;
• Leverage additional/new resources; and
• Build capacity.
Coalition Functions
Coalition functions include:
• Communication:
Members have a chance to share and learn from other members
as well as become more familiar with the various organizations
involved in the coalition. Communication needs to be honest
and open.
• Coordination:
Planning tasks, setting objectives, and synchronizing services
are key to successful coalition development. The identity
of each coalition is not lost in this process.
• Collaboration:
Members must work together to help achieve coalition goals
and objectives set jointly by the members. The activities
of the coalition are conducted on behalf of the coalition.
Effective Coalitions
The characteristics of an effective
coalition include:
• Shared vision
• Clearly defined mission, goals, and objectives
• Broad cross-section of actively involved members
• Organizational Competence:
Effective leadership
Clear, democratic decision-making process
Experienced staff and volunteers
Open and effective communication
Ability to manage conflict
A planned approach to ensure the effective use of resources
• Organizational structure and function:
Governance
Roles/responsibilities
Distribution of work
Formalized operating procedures
• Opportunities for action and accomplishments that
demonstrate that things are happening
• Team spirit: hope and celebration
• Time and persistence
• Continually assessing progress
• Plan to institutionalize/sustain outcomes, if appropriate
Potential Obstacles
• Poor communication
• Limited experience
• History of being ignored
• Resistant leaders
• Over-committed leaders
• Sense of powerlessness
• Not enough time
• Lack of transportation/child care
• Poor organization/unproductive meetings
Ineffective
Coalitions
The following traits characterize
ineffective community coalitions:
• Lack of leadership
and teamwork
• Turf and competition
• Bad history between members
• Failure to act
• Dominance by professionals
• Poor links to the community
• Funding - too much or too little
• Costs outweigh the benefits
• Lack of critical thought
• Ignoring history and environmental signs
• Complacency
• Not listening to consumers/customers
• Forgetting about quality
• No systems perspective
• Focusing on the short-term
• De-emphasizing training
• Do not change
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