Question

How are importants and the best way to overcome challenges that arise within a coalition/alliances is to establish rules on how decisions are made?

Answer 1

The key to successful coalitions:

Coalition building is an art. More than anything else, it requires individuals and groups to be willing to rise above their feelings of separateness and to actively collaborate in a spirit of mutual understanding, patience, and flexibility. when members share responsibility, goals, decisions, and leadership and energetically and enthusiastically work toward a common goal, the coalition has the potential for great success.

Functions of the coalition:

In developing the coalition, keep in mind that the purpose of convening it might vary according to what you are trying to achieve. Depending on your state, this might be

(1) obtaining state funding for heart disease and stroke prevention programs,

(2)Advocating for policy and environmental changes to support heart health, or

(3)Implementing specific heart disease and stroke prevention programs or activities. Depending on which of these goals is your principal priority, coalition members should be recruited accordingly.

Initially, coalition members can support the following tasks :

1. Identify key policymakers and decision-makers who can help achieve goals.
2. Determine how best to approach them
3. Introduce coalition members to policymakers and decision-makers.
4. Write to and/or visit policymakers and decision-makers to educate them about heart disease and stroke.

These tasks demand communication, coordination, collaboration skills, and a high level of participation and commitment.

How to ensure that the coalition is Effective:

• Ensure that all members understand, agree on, and support the goal of establishing heart disease and stroke prevention programs statewide and that they understand that it will take environmental and policy changes to pave the road for such programs.If potential members favor intervention over prevention measures, they don't belong in the coalition!.
• Confirm that members understand that their roles will include educating and convincing decision-makers about the need for prevention programs.
• Appoint strong leaders to facilitate the group
• Treat members with dignity and respect and develop a one-to-one relationship with each group member to address individual concerns as they arise.
• Invite members to volunteer to take on tasks.
• Make sure that members understand that they are working toward common goals that will be mutually advantageous. For example, proper diet abd exercise can reduce the risk not only o heart disease and stroke but also of some cancers and other diseases.
• Encourage members to identify common ground ad recognize that they will not agreeon everything
• Help them understand the necessity of temporarily subordinating their individual idnetitties to that of the coalition to ensure that the coalition is effective.
• Keep meetings short and goal oriented by closely following agendas.
• Have in place a conflict resolution process and a clear decision-making process.
• Keep communication open and frequent(through mail and discussion).