The document discusses coalition building and maintenance. It emphasizes the importance of respect, efficiency, and accomplishment within a coalition. Barriers to participation like lack of roles or conflict must be addressed. Broad recruitment of diverse members is key, using formal outreach processes. New members should receive orientation. Effective meetings that acknowledge contributions help sustain involvement. Conflict is natural but must be managed constructively. Ongoing efforts are needed to recruit and maintain members.

1. Coalition 101
Dee Dee Wallace, CHES, CPS
Growing Healthy Communities
Central Summit
June 24, 2013

2. RESPECT AND VALUE
“The group respects my opinion and provides positive ways for me
to contribute.”
EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS
“The roles and responsibilities are clearly mapped out and
everyone does his or her job. Together this makes the whole
collaboration valued among participants and valued in the
community.”
ACCOMPLISHMENT
“The collection of people are really committed to their goals and
work hard toward them. As time goes on people recognize the
value of working together on common agendas rather than in
competition.”

3. IN ORDER TO RECRUIT
FOR YOUR COALITION
YOU MUST FIRST
RECOGNIZE AND
REMOVE THE BARRIERS.

4.  Organizational
 Personal
 Environmental

5.  Lack of defined roles and
responsibilities and/or
lack of understanding of
meeting processes or how
to participate.
 Poor relationships or
conflict within the
coalition.
 Lack of or poor
internal/external
communication and
access to information.
 Lack of support for members
with special needs (visual or
hearing impaired, literacy
level, language barriers.)
 Lack of ongoing supports such
as accessible meeting
locations, expense
reimbursements, and child
care.
 Lack of flexibility regarding
participation, or unrealistic
time/commitment
expectations.

6.  Lack of community support for the organization.
 All the “isms” (e.g., issues of class, gender,
race/ethnicity, age)
 Large geographic areas requiring time-consuming,
expensive long distance travel with no financial
reimbursement.
 Natural and “man-made” delays before “results”
are seen.

7.  Lack of or inadequate commitment to the organization
or its goals and objectives.
 Health status
 Burnout
 Competing family, work and/or personal time demands.

8. Recruitment is a responsibility of the entire coalition.
 Do not rely on personal contacts and individual
interactions as the only means of recruitment; utilize
methods that have proven useful to other coalitions in
recruiting consumers.
 Recruitment and outreach procedures should be
formalized, and require a formal outreach process
carried out by a committee of the coalition.
 Outreach must be extensive, ongoing and culturally
competent.

9.  Develop a formal membership plan that addresses
inclusiveness, diversity and process for recruitment.
 Orient new members:
 Practical orientation prior to first meeting.
 New member packet or manual.
 Formal procedure for introducing and welcoming new
members.
 Debrief with new members after their first meeting.
 Establish a mentoring or “buddy” system.
 Allow for training which addresses individual needs.
 Sensitize all members to the importance of consumer
input.

10.  The coalition’s mission is clearly defined.
 Policies and procedures are documented and agreed upon by
all members.
 Strategies and tasks necessary to the mission are specified and
pursued by the members themselves.
 The committee structure is such that all participants
understand their roles and responsibilities.
 Meetings are conducted in a participatory, efficient and timely
manner.
 It is acknowledged that everyone has an equally important
contribution to make and not everyone must be an expert in
every aspect of the coalition process.
Members will be more likely to participate if
you insist on effective meetings!

11.  Create a culturally competent environment.
 Be flexible about changing meeting times, locations
and participation requirements.
 Be creative in finding solutions to administrative
support needs.
 Acknowledge people and their contributions.
 Provide opportunities for continuing education,
training and leadership development.
 Consider scheduling time for optional socializing and
networking.
 Take action to prevent burnout and help sustain
member commitment.

12.  Conflict is a natural part of life and is inevitable.
 Conflict can also be constructive.
 Conflict is not the problem. The problem is in
how we manage conflict.

13.  Where, when and how meetings are conducted.
 Perceived and actual differences in values, interests
and personal styles. Conflict arises over discrepancies in
work output, commitment to service delivery,
definitions of services and styles of expressing anger,
frustration, discomfort, and disagreement.
 Differences in cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation,
race and class give rise to conflict and
misunderstanding.
 Selection of health priorities.

14.  Interpretation of needs assessment results.
 Allocation of funds and choices of subcontractors.
 Staffing decisions.
 Perception that the process is controlled by a few
members.
 Roles, responsibilities and relationships with regional
leadership team and state.
 Members feel as if their time is being wasted.
 Monitoring and evaluating provider organizations.

15.  Communication problems
 Differences in objectives (what)
 Differences in methodology (how)
 Personality differences

16. CONCLUSIONS
 Membership recruitment and maintenance is an
ongoing process.
 There is a process to membership recruitment,
participation and maintenance.
 Broad-based, culturally diverse membership
must be encouraged.

17. NEXT STEPS
 Where do we go from here?
 What else do you need?
 What changes do you/your coalition need to
make?
 What is your next step?

18. For more information please contact your Central Region
Hometown Health Improvement Support Staff.
Julie Harlan, MCHES
Central Region HHI Manager
Julie.Harlan@arkansas.gov
Christy Campbell, CPS
Central Region Grants Administrator
Christy.Campbell@arkansas.gov
Dee Dee Wallace, CHES, CPS
Public Health Educator
Dechantria.Wallace@arkansas.gov
Janice Ray, CHES
Public Health Educator
Janice.Ray@arkansas.gov
Laura Taylor, CHES
Public Health Educator
Laura.Taylor@arkansas.gov
Anna Haver, MCHES
Community Health Promotion
Specialist
Anna.Haver@arkansas.gov
Cynthia Wilborn, DNPc, BSN, RN
Community Health Nurse
Specialist
Cynthia.Wilborn@arkansas.gov