Local Implementation of the Wisconsin Physical Activity and Nutrition State Plan

Coalition or group capacity

Making maximum use of limited resources is a position many coalitions find themselves in. Listed in this section are links to resources to help develop and maintain your coalition.  

• Coalition Self-Assessment Tool
• Asset Mapping
• General Resources
• Coalition Infrastructure Resources
• Coalition Function Resources
• Training Resources

A description of the categories and values for the Coalition Self-Assessment Tool and the resulting score (PDF, 197 KB) are available.  A pdf version of the Coalition Self-Assessment Tool (PDF) can be downloaded to make it easier to fill in the tool as a group.

The tool is specifically designed for coalitions, so if you are an organization other than a coalition, answer the questions below and then go to the resources page for specific strategies for your organization.

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your coalition or organization to implement an obesity prevention strategy?

• Do you have sufficient resources?

• How can you pick something that is attainable with your current resources?

Asset mapping

Asset Mapping is the process of cataloging the resources of a community.  Asset mapping can serve a number of purposes: 

1. Identify possible resources 
2. Provide a foundation for strategic planning and implementation
3. Deepen understanding of key regional systems and linkages
4. Become a catalyst for new partnerships
5. Be an organizational and motivational tool for implementation

Asset Mapping Summary (PDF) - A more detailed description of asset mapping as well as tools to identify partners and catalog their resources.

General resources

Community Tool Box - Practical information for community building that both professionals and ordinary citizens can use in everyday practice -- for example, leadership skills, program evaluation, and writing a grant application.

Fundamentals of Evaluating Partnerships: Evaluation Guide - The evaluation guides are a series of evaluation technical assistance tools developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP). The guides clarify approaches to and methods of evaluation, provide examples specific to the scope and purpose of  programs, and recommend resources for additional reading.

Coalition infrastructure

(from the Community Tool Box)

• Encouraging involvement in community work
• Developing an organizational structure for the initiative
• Hiring and training key staff
• Recruiting and training volunteers
• Getting grants and financial resources 
• Managing finances

Coalition function resources

(from the Community Tool Box)

• Orienting ideas in leadership
• Core functions in leadership
• Becoming an effective manager
• Group facilitation and problem solving

Coalitions: key definitions

Coalition capacity is the ability of a coalition to effectively and efficiently develop, implement, and evaluate interventions that address important health issues within a community. Implicit in this description are strategic planning, the identification and use of evidence-based practices, and the solicitation of input from key community stakeholders. Coalition capacity describes both structural and functional aspects of a coalition as well as the ability to evaluate these aspects. 

Coalition structure represents the objective aspects of a coalition. These include, for example, the number of members and their affiliations and qualifications, the structure of the organization (e.g., chair, executive committee, sub-committees), rules or procedures, meeting schedule and format, attendance, available funding, etc.   

Coalition function represents more subjective aspects, such as leadership quality, member involvement and satisfaction, collaboration literacy, performance levels, clarity of roles and expectations, effectiveness of decision-making and conflict resolution processes, meeting quality, etc.

Capacity evaluation represents an assessment of the structure and function of the coalition in relation to its short and long terms goals and objectives (or tentative ones for new coalitions). Evidence is gathered to answer specific evaluation questions and can include quantitative assessments, such as member surveys, qualitative assessments such as member or leader interviews, or structural documents, such as rosters, attendance records, meeting minutes, etc.

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