Evidence-Based Practices for
Healthiest Wisconsin 2010

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System (infrastructure) priority: Coordination of state and local public health partnerships

Objective: Influencing Partnership Participation to Improve Health. By December 31, 2010, 100 percent of public/private health partnerships, within five years of being formed, have successfully changed one or more significant system or priorities that support Healthiest Wisconsin 2010.

Objective:  Establishing Collaborative Leadership and Educational Processes. By December 31, 2010, members of 100 percent of defined local, regional, and state partnerships will evaluate that the partnership has effectively met locally defined goals that support Healthiest Wisconsin 2010.

Background on the objective:
A recent study by Susan Zahner, DrPH, RN indicates that Wisconsin's local health departments (LHDs) are already busy collaborating with other organizations. According to this study, these partnerships are most frequent with other government agencies, hospitals, medical practices or clinics, community-based organizations, and schools. Although LHD partnerships in Wisconsin address a broad range of topics, the most common focus areas include: tobacco prevention and control, maternal and child health, emergency planning, community assessment and planning, and immunizations.

For further information on this objective, please see its Implementation Plan.

Interventions reviewed:
Community Tool Box (CTB) :  Promoting community health and development by connecting people, ideas and resources.
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• Analyzing information about the problem or goals
• Establishing a vision and mission
• Defining organizational structure and operating mechanisms
• Developing a framework or model of change
• Developing and using strategic and action plans
• Arranging for community mobilizers
• Developing leadership
• Implementing effective interventions
• Assuring technical assistance
• Documenting progress and using feedback
• Making outcomes matter
• Sustaining the work

Findings from the systematic reviews:
The Community Tool Box (CTB) is a leading clearinghouse for practical information that supports work in the community health and development fields. CTB has made an effort to systematically examine available literature and develop recommendations for interventions to foster community partnerships that can successfully effect change. These recommendations, which CTB calls "best processes," are listed above.

While a number of reviewers have explored the factors associated with partnership effectiveness, this area of research is still in its early stages. Thus, the interventions CTB identified as "best processes" are the only findings presented for this objective.

Limitations/Comments:
To identify the interventions above, CTB reviewed 17 studies:  nine review papers, five multiple case studies, and three experiential reviews. The interventions recommended most frequently in these studies were identified as best processes, then divided into the following three categories: (1) strongly recommended for practice; (2) recommended for practice; and (3) recommended, with qualifications, for practice.

CTB defines best processes as "modifiable factors or actions that have been shown to increase the likelihood of making an impact." Most of these factors are recognized as conventional wisdom among researchers, practitioners, and community members. However, the specific effects of these factors have generally not been tested explicitly. This methodology differs from the methodology used in the remainder of this Web site, which evaluates available literature for interventions with explicit evidence of effectiveness. Additional information on CTB's methodology is available.

Additional information:
CTB includes practical guidance for many different tasks necessary to promote community health and development. It includes sections on leadership, strategic planning, community assessment, grant writing, and evaluation, among others. Each section includes a description of a task, advantages of undertaking it, step-by-step guidelines, examples, checklists, and training materials. For additional information and guidance on partnership formation, see CTB's partnership section.

References:
Community Tool Box 

Zahner SJ., DrPH, RN. Local Public Health Partnerships. Public Health Reports; Research Articles 2005. Jan/Feb 2005;120:76.

Last Revised: October 24, 2008