pink-book

Coalitions often grow from informal
partnerships or advisory bodies created
around special projects. Experience in
working together lays the groundwork for
a long-term association.
Use the following guidelines to create a
successful coalition:
• Formalize the relationship to create
greater commitment. Formal
arrangements include written memoranda
of understanding, by-laws, mission
statements, or regular reminders of the
coalition’s purpose and progress.
• Make sure that the responsibilities of each
organization and its staff are clear. In
particular, staff members need to know
whether to take direction from the coalition
chairperson or from the agency that pays
their salary.
• Structure aspects of the coalition’s
operation. Elect officers. Form standing
committees. Have regularly scheduled
meetings with written agenda and
minutes. Expect and support action, not
just discussion, at these meetings.
Circulate action items resulting from
meetings among coalition members.
Establish communication channels and
use them frequently.
• Ensure the involvement of representatives
who show leadership characteristics, such
as the ability to obtain resources, problemsolve,
and promote collaboration and
equality among members. Members with
political knowledge, administrative or
communication skills, or access to the
media and decision-makers are
also valuable.
• Create and reinforce positive expectations
by providing information on the coalition’s
progress. Optimism and success sustain
member interest.
• Formalize accountability and develop
criteria for judging whether coalition
members are honoring their commitments.
• Be flexible. Losing prospective partners
can limit a program’s effectiveness.
• Provide training to help members
complete their tasks. For example,
coalition members may need training in
how to be effective advocates for your
program’s issues.
• Give members a stake in the coalition and
an active role in decision-making.
• Seek external resources to augment
member resources.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the coalition
periodically and make necessary changes.
This should include process evaluation of
the coalition’s functioning and assessment
of the coalition’s impact on the health
problem being addressed.
6. Develop a Communication Strategy;
Draft Communication and
Evaluation Plans
At this point your program has:
• Defined intended audiences and the
actions you want their members to take
(communication objectives)
• Explored the settings, channels, and
activities that can be used to reach them
• Identified potential partners
• Developed partnering plans
In this step, you will use this information as
the basis for developing a communication
strategy and drafting communication and
evaluation plans.
40 Planning and Strategy Development