Tools for Effectively Engaging
Coalition Members and
Stakeholders
July 19, 2012
11:00am – 12:30pm (CT)
Moderator:
Nidhi M. Nakra, MPH – The Immunization Partnership
Speakers:
Fran Butterfoss, PhD, Med – President, Coalitions Work
Anita Colbert – Immunization Collaborative of Tarrant County
Objectives
At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
• Explore common barriers to engaging coalition
members
• Identify three strategies that can be employed to
recruit and retain members
• Understand key organizational components to
building and sustaining effective coalitions
Barriers to Engaging Coalition
Members
. . . and How to Overcome Them
Tools for Effectively Engaging Members &
Stakeholders
Immunization Partnership Summer Webinar Series
Fran Butterfoss
Yorktown, VA
Effective Coalitions Have …
• Well defined, specific issue
• Agreed upon vision, goals &
strategies
• Solidarity among members
• Strong leadership
Benefits of Community Engagement
• Less duplication of effort & services
• Improved trust & respect among organizations
• Pooled talents & resources
• Access to untapped community assets
“People support what they help create”
Barriers to Community Engagement
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History
Lack of direction or focus
Failure to plan and/or act
Lack of organizational capacity
Poor links to the community
Failure to develop, maintain or rotate leadership
Time and loyalty conflicts
Turf battles and competition
Poor sharing of responsibility & decision-making
Butterfoss, 1998; Adapted from Kaye & Wolfe, 1995
Poll: What is your coalition’s top barrier?
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History
Lack of direction or focus
Failure to plan and/or act
Lack of organizational capacity
Poor links to the community
Failure to develop, maintain or rotate leadership
Time and loyalty conflicts
Turf battles and competition
Poor sharing of responsibility & decision-making
History
Each Coalition is Unique
Each coalition is shaped by its community’s …
 Level of collaboration & trust
 Politics
 Economics
 Geography
 Readiness
Every coalition should know . . .
• Whether culture of collaboration exists in community?
• What are agreed on community boundaries?
• What are priority populations for members? strategies?
• How does geography affect community?
• What is community’s social/political/economic history?
• What stakeholders may want to partner around issue?
Lack of direction
or focus
Clarify/reaffirm coalition’s
vision and mission
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Generates awareness
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Builds/sustains future participation
•
Process as important as product
Vision Statement
Inspiring image of future - understood & shared by all
Our county will be free of immunization-preventable
disease
Mission Statement
Describes what members will do together to reach vision
Engaging the community to eliminate vaccine preventable
diseases in ____________ County
Failure to plan or act
Strategic Planning Steps
• Scan environment to assess needs, strengths &
resources (SWOT analysis)
• Identify strategic issues
• Select goals & objectives
• Define action plan to accomplish goals & objectives
Strategic vs. Action Plans
Strategic plan: 5-10 yr. view of coalition assets &
challenges
Action plan: 1-3 year plan (revised annually) focused
on actions to achieve strategic plan.
– People responsible (by whom)
– Date completed (by when)
– Resources required (costs)
– Action steps or strategies (what will be done)
– Collaborators (who will be involved & how)
Ideal Coalition Activities
• Advocacy
• Systems Change
• Resource identification, development, dissemination
• Addressing gaps in service/education
• Communication campaigns – public awareness
Choose promising coalition
strategies
1. Evidence of its impact?
2. Can you replicate and modify it?
3. Potential/actual resources available to support it?
4. Any barriers to implementation?
5. Can you contact those who have implemented it?
6. How will it work for you? What will make it succeed?
Rabinowitz, 2000
Lack of
Organizational
Capacity
Recruit the Right Partners
• Lead agency
• Staff
• Elected & informal leaders
• Members - individuals vs. organizations
Build Just Enough Structure
• Roles & Job Descriptions
• Organizational Charts
• Steering or Executive Committees
• Work & Task Groups
• Bylaws & Guidelines
Develop Effective Processes
• Communication
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Decision-making
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Problem-solving
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Conflict resolution
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Orientation & training
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Strategic & action planning
•
Resource allocation
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Evaluation
Seek Diverse Funding
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Membership dues
Budget line item: Staff & operations
Community donations
Partner financial/in-kind contributions
Grants
Contracts
Poor links to the
community
Foster equality & diversity
• Recognize each organization’s contribution
• One vote per organization rule
• Use first names - no titles
• Allow each person to have say (Use Nominal Group
Process, dot voting)
• Recruit community-based organizations
Identify Diverse Organizations
by Sector
• Health/Medical
• Government/Legislative
• Business/Labor/Employment
• Religious/Faith-based
• Community-based Organizations
• Special Interest/Advocacy Groups
• Professional/Trade Associations
• Insurance
Methods for Recruiting Members
 “Gap” analysis - who’s missing?
 Word of Mouth - personal & professional
networking
 Email & flyers in local gathering spots
 In-person meetings
 Featured speaker
 Recruitment “meetings”
Why
Members
Leave . . .
• Don’t feel included,
useful or respected
• Disagree w/leaders
• Conflict w/others
• Unclear roles/duties
• Results are lacking
New Member Packet
 Vision, Mission, Goals
 Meeting schedule
 Meeting minutes
 Newsletters
 Website
 Newspaper clippings
 Historical Outcomes
Develop Organizational Message
• 1-page description of coalition
– unique mission
– Legal status or affiliation
– Scope of activities & priority population
• Used to promote coalition, seek funding, recruit
members & make others want to learn more
Failure to develop, maintain
or rotate leadership
Recruit & develop
transformative leaders
• Guide group toward goals & consensus - explore all
points of view
• Respected by community
• Knowledgeable & persuasive
• Train, mentor & empower others
Clarify member & leader roles
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Members
Participate
Influence & credibility
Advise
Agree to take on tasks
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Leaders
Guide by example
Keep folks on task
Referee 
Provide feedback to staff
Provide ongoing mentorship
• Communicate with leaders (phone, email & visits)
to set agenda & discuss critical issues
• Meet with leaders 15 min. before meeting to set stage
• Meet with leaders 5 min. after meeting to review &
evaluate meeting & next steps
• Be accessible & supportive in tangible ways
Time and loyalty conflicts
Be realistic & supportive
• Members do not participate at same level;
participation fluctuates
• Volunteers’ paid responsibilities (jobs) come first
• Allow flexibility as members’ outside life intervenes
(new job, family, health, crisis)
• Be appreciative of all help – some specialists,
gatekeepers, or influencers may only volunteer
intermittently
Develop Membership Criteria
• Attend coalition meetings/activities
• Agree with coalition mission
• Put coalition issues on own organization’s agenda
• Commit financial resources, time or in-kind services
Retention Tips
 Buddy System to link old & new members
 Offer stipends or mileage for members
 Make it easy to attend meetings: Convenient
parking, places & hours, meals & child care
 Use retreats, events & tasks to build teamwork
 Provide food, ice breakers & fun to enliven meetings
 Offer training & learning opportunities
 Write letters of recommendation
Turf battles & competition
Types of Conflict
• Conflict over Goals
• Conflict over Resources
• Conflict over Geography
• Conflict over Methods
• Conflict over Mixed Loyalties
• Conflict over Personalities
Conflict can be Helpful
• Identifies hidden agendas/problems/misunderstandings
• Strengthens relationships
• Engages individuals who weren’t involved before
• Builds capacity to appreciate/deal with differences
• Creates innovative solutions
Responding to Conflict
1. Prevent conflict - Build strong relationships based
on clear, shared roles, purposes & procedures
2. Prepare for conflict - Anticipate differences;
develop ground rules/process for handling
3. Transform conflict - Develop commitment & skills
to resolve conflict as it occurs by listening, reframing
& focusing on common ground
Poor sharing of
decision-making
or responsibility
Decision-making Power
ADVISE
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Coalition develops
recommendations,
but other organization(s)
have final say
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Continuum
Wandersman, 1981
CONTROL
Coalition itself has final
decision-making power
Difficult or Controversial
Decisions
• Mission, goals & objectives
• Who gets resources & recognition
• Power, prestige & influence
• Funding opportunities
Decision-making Styles
• No decision
• Self-appointed decision maker
• Minority rule
• Majority rule
• Consensus
Choice of style depends on time available,
appropriateness & how it affects relationships
Techniques to build majority &
consensus decisions
• Blind Vote
• Dots
• Levels of Consensus (Susskind, 1994):
1. I can support decision
2. I can support decision, but not my preference
3. I can support decision with minor changes
4. I support will of group, but don’t agree with decision
5. I cannot support decision
Poll: What barrier should you overcome first?
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History
Lack of direction or focus
Failure to plan and/or act
Lack of organizational capacity
Poor links to the community
Failure to develop, maintain or rotate leadership
Time and loyalty conflicts
Turf battles and competition
Poor sharing of responsibility & decision-making
Desire is the key to motivation,
but it's determination and commitment
to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal –
a commitment to excellence - that will
enable you to attain the success you seek.
Lack of direction or focus
Mario Andretti
Q & A Session
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
Twenty Years of Collaboration,
serving Tarrant County creating
better health for everyone.
How to Sustain
A Collaboration or Coalition?
July 2012
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
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Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
How We Got Started:
1991 Measles outbreak of 300 cases.
The Question:
How can the community help with this public health
emergency ?
3 Basic Needs to Build the Collaboration:
Funding: Local civic groups, community outreach, managed care
organizations, and Healthcare delivery networks
Volunteers: Volunteers from community service & health care
organizations
Vaccine Supply: Public Health Department
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Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
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Major Accomplishments for the Collaboration 1991 to 1995
1: Thousands of children received vaccines at Immunization
events preventing additional measles cases.
2: Immunization Outreach team was established and funded
within the Public Health Department.
3. Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County received
501 (c)(3) non-profit status.
4. Established yearly vaccine events for infants and children
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Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
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Key Components for Longevity
FUNDING
VOLUNTEER WORK FORCE
with DEFINED BUSINESS & SERVICE STRUCTURE
VACCINE SUPPLY
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Funding
Non-Profit status has many advantages
IRS identification 501 (c) (3)
Tax free purchasing
Private Foundation Funding
Required for most private Foundation applications
Many Options – Many Foundations
More flexibility and control of funding
In – Kind donations are deductible
Cash donations are deductible
July 2012
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
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Volunteer Work Force
Needs a DEFINED BUSINESS & SERVICE STRUCTURE
Mission Statement
Bylaws & Guidelines:
Define who is responsible to run the business?
Define who is responsible for the services
provided by the organization
Strategic Plan
July 2012
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
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ICTC Mission Statement:
To provide a collaboration of agencies and
organizations, public and private,
committed to providing the systematic
eradication of childhood vaccinepreventable diseases in Tarrant County,
Texas.
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Organizational Chart:
Organizational Chart
Board of Trustees
Two voting representatives from each affiliated
agency and individual community volunteers
Executive Committee
Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer,
and 2-4 Members at Large
Finance/Budget
Committee
Strategic Plan
Committee
Zip Code
Committees (3)
Promotions
Committee
Nominating
Committee
Events Planning
Committee
Others as
needed
ICTC is operated 100% by volunteers. Bylaws and Strategic Plan are updated every three years.
ICTC meetings are held quarterly; subcommittees meet as needed and report progress as required.
“Be Wise—Immunize” is a service mark of Texas Medical Association and a joint program of Texas Medical Association and TMA Alliance, funded by TMA Foundation.
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History of Progress:
ICTC continued the mission over the next 10 years.
• Funding and In-Kind donations continued
• Volunteer Management followed the guidelines
• Vaccine Availability in place with VFC and Tarrant
County Immunization Outreach as provider.
ICTC sponsored Annual summer vaccine events at the Fort
Worth Zoo. ICTC participated in Shots Across Texas in the
90’s, improving visibility of the need for access to vaccines.
More partners joined ICTC.
The first Vacci-Van in Texas came from a multiple organization
partnership
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“Doing good work” is not enough!
Guidelines should include timetable to:
Review
Evaluate
Update Operations
Update By-Laws
Update Strategic Plan
PROVIDES STRUCTURE
Required by Funding organizations
Keeps the collaboration on track
Are you operating legally? Do you have minutes?
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Difficulties facing ICTC and other Collaborations in 2012:
1. Limitations on funding
2. Volunteers
3. Liability Insurance
4. IRS & State Comptrollers
5. Rotate Leadership
6. Politics of the Middle Road
7. Balance
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2011 Report for ICTC – 20 years: No Employees
1. Over 40 organizations are affiliated with ICTC
2. Over 82,000 children have received vaccines since 1991, at
ICTC sponsored events.
3. August 2012 has 23 days of events scheduled, expected to
serve 5000 children with over 14,000 doses of vaccine.
4. Since 2006, over 30,000 pieces of Be Wise—Immunize
materials are distributed in Tarrant County yearly
5. Three zip code committees have active educational projects
in place to increase immunizations for 0-2 years of age
6. ICTC continues to advocate for improved use of immunization
registries, including TCIR and ImmTrac.
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Final advice: Follow this Simple Model
By: Anita Colbert, Supervisor Immunization Outreach Tarrant
County Public Health. Anita is a founding member of ICTC and
current ICTC Treasurer
July 2012
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Partnerships among public, private and non-profit
sectors with power play left at the door
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Availability of vaccine through the Federal Vaccine for
Children program
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Non-profit Status for the Collaboration
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Volunteer management with people power skills
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Strong committed leadership and financial support
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Daily work force that have knowledge of the area
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
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Contact Information
Terri Andrews, Chair, Immunization Collaboration of
Tarrant County
817-980-2552
[email protected]
Anita Colbert, Tarrant County Public Health
817-321-5453/817-925-9386
[email protected]
Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County
P.O. Box 100192
Fort Worth, Texas 76185-0192
[email protected]
www.ictchome.org
Facebook
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Q & A Session
Thank you for participating!
www.coalitionswork.com
www.ictchome.org
www.immunizeUSA.org
Visit our website:
www.immunizeUSA.org
Archived recordings of our Summer Webinar
Series are available on our website, including:
“Vaccine Safety Concerns and How to
Respond to Vaccine-Hesitant Parents”
with speakers Dr. Julie Boom and Rachel Cunningham
from Texas Children’s Hospital, and Alison Singer of the
Autism Science Foundation
Please complete the online evaluation.
For more information on The Immunization
Partnership, visit www.immunizeUSA.org or
contact:
• Nidhi M. Nakra, MPH, [email protected]
• Linnea Nasman, [email protected]