Assessing Collaborative Efficacy of an Environmental Health Workgroup

Background: Collaboration between organizations and individuals can be an important “driver of change” in affecting environmental policy and systems change, but enhancing collaborative efficacy requires intentional effort.  The Environmental Health Workgroup (EHWG) is a collaboration between several organizations with the goal of improving environmental conditions in Long Beach. The EHWG is part of Building Healthy Communities (BHC), a 10 year place-based initiative supported by The California Endowment (TCE), designed to improve health within 14 underserved California communities. The Collaboration Assessment Tool (CAT) measures collaborative efficacy, and was adapted from a CDC tool by the TCE Learning & Evaluation staff and BHC partners.

Methods: Seven EHWG members representing six organizations completed the online self-assessment. This was followed by a facilitated debriefing approximately one month later where results were presented, discussed, and an action plan for improving the collaboration was developed.                                                                   

Results:  Respondents were active EHWG members who reported frequent participation.  Important “components of collaboration” most frequently indicated were having “common goals” (57%), “membership and participation” (43%), “mutual benefit” (43%), and “building relationships” (43%). Ongoing policy work surrounding a freeway expansion, a rail yard development, and the successful launch of a “Toxic Tour” of Long Beach’s major pollution sources affecting the city’s most vulnerable, were some of the work highlighted by the EHWG. During the debriefing, an action plan was developed around increasing stakeholder engagement, improving communication within and outside the group, and creating a document defining the group’s values.

Conclusions: The CAT and facilitated debriefing was an opportunity to assess collaboration through “appreciative inquiry” whereby members focused on what was working well, define desired changes, and develop an action plan for improvement. Intended to be administered annually, the CAT will measure shifts in collaborative efficacy. Central to a learning framework, the facilitated debriefing allowed for further collaborative development of the group.