Modeling the sustainability of community health networks: novel approaches for analyzing collaborative organization partnerships across time

Abstract

Sustainability is important if community health organizations are to be effective in collaborating to achieve long term health goals. We present a multimethod set of longitudinal analyses examining structural markers applied to a group of organizations brought together to reduce cancer disparities among older African American adults. At the overall network level, sustainability was seen in the growth of outgoing connections and multiplexity. Results of hierarchical clustering analyses identified distinct patterns of collaborative activation over time at the relationship level. Growth modeling indicated the effects of continuing network membership and participation in collaborative events on several structural markers of sustainability. Results of these analyses provide longitudinal indicators for how collaborations among partner organizations impacted their likelihood of continuing in the community network program. The strategy presented here introduces novel methods to assist with planning and evaluation of future community based public health endeavors. KEYWORDSCommunity, Networks, Partnerships, Sustainability, Hierarchical cluster analysis, Growth modeling Establishing and mobilizing collaborative partnerships (i.e., networks) among community health organizations that are brought together to achieve mutual goals is essential to broadening the impact of public health initiatives [1][2][3][4]. In practice, however, sustaining such collaborative networks can be challenging, particularly given competing demands and constraints on the time and resources of the members of the various organizations in the network [5][6][7][8]. Given the potential risk of investment loss if collaborative network partnerships dissolve before goals can be achieved, researchers are calling for more in-depth studies of "network sustainability" [9,10]. That is, researchers want to know what is necessary for networks of community organizations to continue working together over time.One problem with conducting such studies has been that conceptual and operational definitions of network sustainability are somewhat inconsistent in the literature. Various conceptual definitions include the continuation of program benefits, institutionalization/ routinization of the network and network programs, building of community capacity, and continuation of network programs following termination of external funding [6,[11][12][13][14][15][16]. Perhaps most useful in considering a theoretical and operationalizable conceptualization of sustainability are Israel et al. 's [6] criteria of what is necessary for sustainable networks-specifically, "(1) sustaining relationships and commitments among the partners involved, (2) sustaining the knowledge, capacity and values generated from the partnership, and (3) sustaining funding, staff, programs, policy changes and the partnership itself". In the case we present here, our conceptualization of sustainability is exemplified by continuing partner relationships in an Implications Practice: Capitalizing on co...

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