Phase 1: Organizing and Engaging Partners

The first phase of the CHA/CHIP involves two critical and interrelated activities: organizing the planning process and developing the planning partnership. The purpose of this phase is to structure a planning process that builds commitment, engages participants as active partners, uses participants' time well, and results in a plan that can be realistically implemented.

Recommended Participants

Core Support Team — is responsible for most of the work in this phase as it prepares for the CHA/CHIP process and recruits participants.

Steering Committee — is recruited and selected during this phase. The committee, which will guide and oversee the CHA/CHIP process, should be broadly representative of the community and the local public health system.

Broad Community Involvement — participants should be recruited as invitations are extended for the Steering Committee. The community should also be informed of the upcoming CHA/CHIP process and opportunities for involvement that will occur throughout the planning process.

Overview of the Steps for the Organize for Success/Partnership Development Phase

  1. Determine the necessity of undertaking a CHA/CHIP. Identify benefits and potential barriers, as well as other community initiatives that should link to the CHA/CHIP.
  2. Identify and organize participants. Key organizations and individuals give the process legitimacy by offering strong initial support and providing the range of expertise necessary to develop the substance of the plan. Participants should be organized in a manner that shows how activities will be accomplished and clarifies roles and responsibilities.
  3. Design the planning process by answering the questions: (a) What will the process entail? (b) How long will it take? (c) What will the results be and how will we know when we are finished? and (d) Who will perform each task?
  4. Assess resource needs, such as meeting space, travel costs, report production and printing, and consultant fees. Secure commitments.
  5. Conduct a readiness assessment to determine whether all of the elements are in place for a successful planning process.
  6. Determine how the process will be managed by developing tools such as a work plan and guiding assumptions.

Engaging Partners

Engaging Local Public Health System Partners training presentation

Training Presentation: Engaging Community Members

Click here to access the presentation slides.

Webinar Recording: Facilitating Meetings of Diverse Groups of People

This two hour webinar identifies key components of planning and designing community meetings with partners and community members; discusses techniques for increasing participation; names facilitation ''dos'' and ''don''ts''; and outlines specific points in the development of CHAs and CHIPs where facilitation is valuable.

Access the presentation slides.

Core Team/Steering and/or Advisory Committee Meeting Agendas and Minutes

Below are customizable agendas that were used during each community's first CHA/CHIP core team/steering committee meeting.

Below are example agendas that were used during each community's regular CHA/CHIP core team/steering and/or advisory committee meetings.

MAPP Presentations

  • Local Health Department Staff Orientation PowerPoint: Orienting local health department staff not directly involved in coordinating the MAPP process is as important as orienting your community partners if a new way of doing business is going to take hold in public health. This PowerPoint is designed to assist a health director or MAPP coordinator share information about the MAPP process with a focus on the implications for the wider health department staff.
  • MAPP Overview PowerPoint:This is the foundational PowerPoint presentation NACCHO uses to introduce local health departments to the MAPP process.
  • MAPP and Unnatural Causes: A Strategic Approach to Tackling Health Inequities Powerpoint:This presentation was delivered at APHA Annual Conference in November 2010.
  • System Partner Orientation PowerPoint: This presentation orients public health system partners to the MAPP process by highlighting MAPP's six phases, the "MAPP philosophy," and benefits cited by MAPP communities. The presentation is tailorable and assumes that system partners may not be familiar with the field of public health or see themselves as part of the local public health system.

Budgets, Workplans, and Timelines

  • MAPP Budget Worksheet: This worksheet identifies major categories where project costs might be incurred. This tool helps users think through salary, contractual, and other costs and to develop a budget for their MAPP process.
  • Example Timeline for the MAPP Process: The example timeline uses an 18-month timeframe to organize the different phases of MAPP and potential activities that could be conducted in the MAPP process. The timeline focuses on the planning aspect of MAPP; the implementation and evaluation activities (Action Cycle) should be sustained long after this timeline.
  • Example Workplan for the MAPP Process: The example MAPP workplan is organized by phase and includes references to related planning documents available in the MAPP Clearinghouse. The purpose of the workplan is to guide, not dictate, the planning process. The workplan should also be revised as needed.
  • MAPP Process Sample Budget: This sample budget includes the total estimated minimum and maximum costs for phases 1–5 of the MAPP process. The budget includes staff time, training, marketing, data collection costs, and more.
  • Example Work Plan and Timeline - These modifiable Gantt Chart tools from Austin, TX and Gallatin City-County Health Department serve as guides for the CHIP timeline. Adjustments in timing and scope are made as necessary.
  • Example workplan tool: this modifiable workplan was developed by the Kittitas County Public Health Department (WA) and is a timeline for their community health improvement process through the CHA/CHIP project. Adjustments in timing and scope can be made as necessary.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Committee Application: This is a sample application to serve on the Northern Kentucky Community Health Committee.
  • MAPP Steering Committee Member Commitment Form: MAPP Steering Committee members in Monmouth County, NJ, created this one-page document to formalize committee members' commitment to the MAPP process. MAPP Steering Committees may consider adopting and tailoring this document to fit the needs of their community's process. Additionally, MAPP communities may consider including the value statements adopted during phase two of the MAPP process in this type of document.
  • Subcommittee Process Evaluation Survey: The San Antonio MAPP partnership developed this survey to gather feedback from MAPP committee participants and evaluate the overall MAPP process. Periodically using this survey will help determine the sustainability of the process.
  • MAPP Coordinator Job Description: Focused on the assessment portion of MAPP, this job description provides a good basis for identifying the skills needed in a MAPP coordinator.
  • MAPP Performance Plan: This resource was developed to evaluate the MAPP coordinator's job performance. The performance plan includes job responsibilities, behaviors, and outcomes.
  • MAPP Steering Committee Guidance Document: This document provides information to individuals responsible for convening and organizing MAPP Steering Committees (i.e. MAPP coordinators). The document provides an example description of steering committee roles and responsibilities as well as commentary to help MAPP coordinators design the committee most suitable for their communities.
  • Circles of Involvement Exercise: Use this worksheet to help identify public health system and community partners that should be involved in the community health improvement process.
  • Advisory Committee Invitation: a customizable invitation letter that can be sent to community partners inviting them to serve on the advisory committee for the community health improvement process. From Kittitas County Public Health Department (WA)

  • Steering Committee Letter of Commitment: This letter of commitment is a customizable tool that can be sent to selected steering committee members to solidify their commitment to serve as a steering committee member for the community health improvement process (from Kittitas County Public Health Department (WA)).
  • Advisory Committee Spreadsheet: This spreadsheet is a customizable tool that is one way to organize contact information for advisory committee members (from Barry-Eaton District Health Department (MI)).

Getting Ready to Begin

  • Two Models of CHA/CHIP Roles: These customizable tools are two proposed role and responsibility assignment descriptions for each of the eight participating LHDs and their partners in the East Central Kansas Public Health Coalition (KS). This is a coalition of eight LHDs who have formally shared services who are jointly conducting a CHA and developing a CHIP across all eight LHD jurisdictions. See Model 1 and Model 2.
  • Interlocal Cooperation Agreement: This modifiable tool is an example Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between an LHD and their academic partner for their community health improvement process. (Submitted by Kiittitas County Public Health Department, WA).
  • Building Diverse Community-Based Coalitions: This five-page article describes the importance of building diverse community-based coalitions. The article walks readers through a series of steps from "making a plan" to "making the pitch" and "confronting conflict." A worksheet at the conclusion helps readers strategize about who to engage in their coalition work.
  • CDC Program Evaluation Resources: The CDC Evaluation Working Group provides program evaluation resources and includes guidance on using logic models for program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
  • Developing Effective Coalitions: An Eight Step Guide: The Prevention Institute's step-by-step guide to coalition building helps partnerships launch and stabilize effectively. The guide supports advocates and practitioners in every aspect of the process—from determining the appropriateness of a coalition to selecting members, defining key elements, maintaining vitality, and conducting ongoing evaluations.
  • Gliffy Online Diagram Software: This free online software can help MAPP communities diagram planning, evaluation, and communication materials such as organizational charts, logic models, flowcharts, and business processes.
  • The Tension of Turf: Making it Work for the Coalition: This guide, authored by the Prevention Institute, helps coalitions anticipate and validate turf issues that may arise during Organize for Success and throughout the MAPP process. It offers practical support for skillfully managing the dynamic tension that commonly arises when people collaborate.
  • W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide: This Logic Model Development Guide provides step-by-step guidance on using logic models for program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
  • This project charter is an example project charter created by one Kittitas County Public Health Department, WA, for their community health improvement process. It describes the scope of work and roles and responsibilities of key partners. This modifiable tool was developed by the Kittitas County Public Health Department (WA) and is a questionnaire asking meeting availability for their steering committee members.
  • This modifiable Checklist was created by Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services (TX) to help prepare for community forum meetings.

Other

  • Coalition Core Competencies Checklist: This checklist was developed for the Missouri Foundation for Health's Social Innovation for Missouri (SIM) project by Trailnet and American Nonsmokers' Right Foundation (funded by the Cooperation for National and Community Service's Social Innovation Fund) to help coalitions identify their strength's and growth areas, and has been adapted with their permission.
  • Example Speaker Invitation Letter: The Northern Kentucky District Health Department sent this letter to their senator, inviting him to be a featured speaker at their annual meeting where MAPP was being introduced.
  • Community Partnerships in Rural Communities: Strategies and Techniques: This guide demonstrates how building partnerships among local health departments (LHDs), community health centers, healthcare organizations, offices of rural health, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and the private sector is essential to meet the needs of rural communities.
  • MAPP, NPHPS, and Accreditation Relationship Guidance: This document explores the connections among several performance improvement processes and standards, including Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP), the National Public Health Performance Standards (NPHPS), and the Public Health Accreditation Board's (PHAB's) Standards and Measures, in the context of accreditation preparation. Communities can use this document to plan how best to leverage their MAPP and NPHPS efforts toward accreditation preparation. This tool is simply meant to show alignment and overlap between MAPP, NPHPS, and PHAB's standards and measures.
  • MAPP and Non-Profit Hospitals: Leveraging Community Benefit for Community Health Improvement: This fact sheet provides Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) communities with information that will help them engage their local non-profit hospitals in community health assessment and improvement.
  • PARTNER Tool: PARTNER (Program to Analyze, Track, and Record Networks to Enhance Relationships) is a tool that allows partners in a public health collaborative to measure and monitor their collaborative activity over time. The tool uses social network analysis to measure the relationship between partners and demonstrate how resources are exchanged and the levels of trust within the collaborative. The tool includes a survey that is linked to an analysis tool, making it simple for anyone to send out a survey to their partners and analyze the data. The PARTNER tool is free, with various levels of technical support (including analysis, report and presentation preparation, and workshops) available.

Public Health Infrastructure

Phases 1 and 3 Online Training Module

This module from NACCHO helps you better plan and organize for success during the MAPP process.

Public Health Infrastructure

Phases 1 and 3 Online Training Module

Public Health Infrastructure

In-Depth Guidance

This resource provides in-depth guidance to help you better organize your MAPP efforts.

Public Health Infrastructure

In-Depth Guidance

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