Coalition Skill Building

Engagement & Management Practices

Brittany Sandidge, Director of Coalition Programs

Why are you here?

What coalition do you represent and what is your role?What is the thing you love about your community?

What do you wannaknow?

The Four Musts*

Relationships Process Relevance Resources

WARM UP

True or False?

Part One:Relationships Membership, Leadership,

and Culture

What are they anyway?

Community coalitions are not:• prevention programs, or• traditional human service organizations

Community coalitions do not:• provide direct services, or• define their efforts based on the priorities of service based

agencies, or,• tell community leaders what they are doing wrong.

Is a coalition right for you?

Well, then… what are they?

Community coalitions are :• Mission driven• Investigative• Resourceful• Communicative

Community coalitions do:• Raise awareness• Bring people together around a common goal or project• Create solutions that serve the entire community• Seek new partners

Part Two:Process Is my coalition a well-

informed and effective group?

Decision-making: How many voices matter?

The Impacts of Structure -VMOSA

Vision VisionaryMission Missionary

Objectives GoalsStrategies Prevention & InterventionAction Plans Tasks & Responsibilities

The Impacts of Structure - Teams

Steering Committee : made up of staff support, any key agency leaders, community leaders, etc. Makes decisions about governance, approves issues related to participating in community events, etc.

Advisory Board or Council: may also exist alongside a steering committee or board; purpose is to have key individuals (i.e. judges) participate on specific occasions. Serves as a “expert panel” for the coalition in matters of operations.

Committees: best for carrying out a robust action plan with multiple strategies; works best with a chair or appointed leader; may be based on a strategy or on a topic area

Short Term Action Teams: best for carrying out one time events, developing internal tools (i.e. bylaws, data review, etc), and/or developing an action plan

Membership and Outreach model: may work similarly to a civic organization where position is based on a role, i.e. membership chair

Orientation: Membership Standards & Development

Review the Expectations Sector Agreements Code of Conduct Project-by-project run down

• Encourage inter- and intra- community building “100 Cups of Coffee” (what are you looking for?) Prevention vs Community experts

• 1.5 hours x 10 months = 15 working hours a year

Discovery: Decision-Making

These Guide Decision Making• Bylaws • Frequency of

communications

Possible Facilitation Techniques

• Fist of Fives – group size, 5-20 max• Risk & Reward Matrix

Part Three:Relevance Assess, Assess, Assess

Engage and Modify

The “Reporter” Test

• What you consider this a good use of people and time?

• Does this project answer a need that [your target group] has?

• Will you learn valuable information by doing it?

• Do you know what or who your biggest threats are?

• Are you able to take advantage of new opportunities?

Motivation vs Intention

Forming an action plan, or a process for planning and executing projects, will:

1. Help identify milestones to celebrate2. Give members a better understanding

of their contribution3. Provide a layout for your debrief

when a task, planning process, etc., ends.

Permission To Lead

• Address non-performers • Practice patience and consistent communication• Establish procedures for dealing with conflict• Establish boundaries to prevent “mission creep”

Part Four:Resources Fiscal, Physical, and

Human

Recognizing Threats & Opportunities

Interpret the situation

Factors Impacting Your Working Environment

Factors characterizing

a project environment:

Cultural

Social

EconomicPolitical

Physical

Cultural: Do we feel comfortable explaining WHY

prevention fits within our community culture?

Political: Do we understand the key issues impacting the leaders in

the community?Credit: K. Bhutta, Project Management (2017);

Credit: PMBOK Guide © Online - adapted

Summary

Relationships Process Relevance Resources

Brittany Sandidge

Director of Coalition ProgramsStatewide Prevention Coalition

Association (SPCA)

Bsandidge@PreventionActionAlliance.org

(614) 540-9985 ext. 18