Rebecca Wells1, Lindsey Yates2, Isabel Morgan3, Leslie deRosset4, Dorothy Cilenti5. 1. University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, 77030, USA. Rebecca.S.Wells@uth.tmc.edu. 2. Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB# 7411, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7411, USA. 3. Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB# 7445, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7411, USA. 4. Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, The Impact Center, The University of North Carolina, 105 Smith Level Rd, CB 8180, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. 5. Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, 402A Rosenau Hall, CB#7445, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7411, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory is a free, publicly available questionnaire about the quality and context of community collaboration. The purpose of this article is to share lessons from using this questionnaire in a North Carolina maternal and child health initiative. METHODS: In 2015, the State's General Assembly funded five local health departments to implement evidence-based strategies for improving maternal and child health. Each health department formed a community action team for this purpose. Members of each community action team completed the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory (Inventory) in the first year of funding and again 1 and 2 years later. Technical assistance coaches also asked community action team conveners to complete a brief questionnaire annually, and used these as well as Inventory results to plan for improvements. RESULTS: During the first year, community action teams emerged as strong in seeing collaboration in their self-interest. A primary challenge noted by conveners was engaging consumers on the community action teams. Strategies to address this included using social media and compensating consumers for attending meetings. By the second year, teams' average scores in engaging multiple layers of participation increased, and eight additional factors became strengths, which generally continued in year three. The most consistent challenge was supporting community action teams administratively. DISCUSSION: The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory provided a feasible tool for identifying opportunities for improvement in several local, cross-sector partnerships, suggesting promise for other communities seeking to enhance their collective impact on maternal and child health.
INTRODUCTION: The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory is a free, publicly available questionnaire about the quality and context of community collaboration. The purpose of this article is to share lessons from using this questionnaire in a North Carolina maternal and child health initiative. METHODS: In 2015, the State's General Assembly funded five local health departments to implement evidence-based strategies for improving maternal and child health. Each health department formed a community action team for this purpose. Members of each community action team completed the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory (Inventory) in the first year of funding and again 1 and 2 years later. Technical assistance coaches also asked community action team conveners to complete a brief questionnaire annually, and used these as well as Inventory results to plan for improvements. RESULTS: During the first year, community action teams emerged as strong in seeing collaboration in their self-interest. A primary challenge noted by conveners was engaging consumers on the community action teams. Strategies to address this included using social media and compensating consumers for attending meetings. By the second year, teams' average scores in engaging multiple layers of participation increased, and eight additional factors became strengths, which generally continued in year three. The most consistent challenge was supporting community action teams administratively. DISCUSSION: The Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory provided a feasible tool for identifying opportunities for improvement in several local, cross-sector partnerships, suggesting promise for other communities seeking to enhance their collective impact on maternal and child health.
Entities:
Keywords:
Collaborative leadership; Collective impact; Community capacity; Leadership; Measuring collaboration
Authors: Rebecca E Lee; Jacob Szeszulski; Elizabeth Lorenzo; Anel Arriola; Meg Bruening; Paul A Estabrooks; Jennie L Hill; Teresia M O'Connor; Gabriel Q Shaibi; Erica G Soltero; Michael Todd Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-01 Impact factor: 4.614