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Section Three
Organizing the Coalition

"I predict a bright future for complexity, Have you ever considered how
complicated things can get, what with one thing always leading to another."
E. B. White

Overview of Section

This section discusses at some length several factors crucial to organizing a successful coalition. The section deals with elements involved in the organizational structure of the coalition. It discusses the issue of resources and their connection to the developmental life of the coalition and finally it deals at some length with the structuring of an action plan for the coalition. The action plan becomes the core of the organizational structure and the focus of both internal and external activity.

A. Establishing the Organization

Structuring the Coalition

Designing an organization and putting it together is not an instinctive skill. Looking at organizations around us does not give us confidence that the desire to put together an effective organization will inevitably produce a successful result. Even when the organization does get put together, we are aware that some organizations achieve a much higher level of success than others do. Some organizations achieve success by achieving their goals; others go further than that and ensure that the public perceives them as successful. Our experiences with organizations such as airlines, grocery stores, and hospitals confirm that some never quite make it; others do make it; a smaller number not only make it but are acclaimed as successful by the public.

Designing the Coalition

A successful coalition is a successful organization. No two may have been assembled in exactly the same way; no two may have the same organizational culture; no two may be at the same level of organizational maturity. Each of them aims at being an effectively designed organization in which the framework, whatever it may happen to be, allows the organization to achieve its goals. Certain characteristics of an effectively designed organization flow through to ensure effectively designed coalitions. Obviously, not all of these characteristics are present fully developed as the organization begins. However, the coalition cannot neglect to give appropriate attention to these factors. Researchers have estimated that one of every three activities or organizations involving partners fails. ⁸ The desire to get out and earn a profit or provide a service can be more stimulating than paying attention to structural development within an organization. However, at any point, dealing with developmental issues in a coalition makes it more likely to succeed.

1. Preparing for the design of a community-based coalition.

It is not necessary that every coalition be community-based. A coalition can be put together and take direction from a state agency, a hospital, or any organization. However, most coalitions, particularly those that survive for some time, are themselves empowered to take the steps necessary for the coalition to succeed. ⁹ This model will typically take the following formative steps.

• Arrange for meeting of organizing group;
• Design a plan for involvement of steering committee;
• Designate leadership for the coalition;
• Determine appropriate type of membership (by invitation or open to all);
• Outline preliminary goals of coalition;
• Arrange for series of meetings to determine direction.

2. Studying the environment in which the coalition will operate.

The initial meetings of the organizing group, the steering committee, and the first members will be taken up for the most part with a study of the various environments that will surround the coalition. ¹⁰ The assumption in the model is that it is an asthma-oriented coalition.

1. Health-related environment

• What indices exist now in the community of asthma-related problems?
• What programs exist now for heightening awareness and providing treatment?
• What resources exist in the health community to address the issue?
• What populations are most at-risk?
• What locations offer best opportunity to reach designated populations?
• What resources would be available from the health community?

2. Internal environment

• What will be the governing structure; (a small organizing group; a steering committee; a larger membership)?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the governing group (for example, good organizing ability but little time to do it, etc.)?
• How will the membership be organized (various work forces or a committee of the whole)?
• How will the coalition make decisions?
• How will the decisions and other issues be communicated?

3. External environment

• What people (groups or individuals) need to be recruited into the coalition?
• What is the most effective way of recruitment?
• How much in the way of direct funding is available for coalition activities?
• How much in the way of in-kind funding is available?
• What kind of support can be found in the general community (schools, community and religious leaders, local government)?
• Does the community have any awareness of the problem?

3. Building the structure so that it is effective and understandable.

The structure of the coalition should fit the goals and resources of the organization. An organization that operates statewide with a significant budget might well consider by-laws, specialized leadership roles, a more complex layering of committees, and a highly detailed plan for communication. A local coalition without substantive funding and with only part-time staff might find it logical to do with far less structure.

In developing the structure, the coalition members might keep some things in mind:

• A new organization is being created. Too often leaders of new groups allow it to look and feel like some other organization, perhaps like the largest organization in the coalition.
• The structure should indicate the behaviors desired in the members. If you want the members frequently taking the initiative, the structure should not have elaborate systems for getting permission.
• Keep it simple. Complex organizations can be explained simply. If your members cannot explain your structure, you either need new members or a new structure. Create an organizational chart and see if you can explain it.
• Look around at other new organizations. New organizations today frequently have a different view of structure. They build the organizations around a focus on either the product or the service they provide, not on the organization. Dot.com companies are examples of new organizations run with these new structures.
• If the structure or some part of it is not doing the job, do not hesitate to get rid of it and build something newer that might work.

4. Emphasizing the task orientation of the coalition.

The coalition has been brought together to do something. While planning and other deliberative activities are essential, they are there to create a way of achieving a goal. A coalition is neither a think tank nor an experimental research unit. There are some ways of keeping this task orientation in focus.

• Identify an early target to be achieved and announce to all the achievement; nothing succeeds like success;
• Ensure that all members have responsibilities and know what they are;
• Create a time line for projects and openly review progress or lack of it;
• Ensure there is oversight for all projects and public reporting of successes and failures.

5. Developing a decision-making process.

Like any organization, the time for a coalition to determine how it will make a decision is before it has a major problem that requires such a decision. Fewer things are more difficult for a new organization than to be forced to develop its processes under pressure and nothing is more destructive to any organization than to be forced to invent a new process for each problem.

Organizations can use several decision-making methods as part of their strategy. ¹¹

1. Decisions can be reached through collaboration. Decisions are reached when every one can buy into them after discussion. A Win/Win mentality pervades here.
2. Decisions may be reached through negotiation. Different points of view are exchanged and concessions from each side are made until a compromise is found.
3. Decisions may be made by executive decision-making. The director or the steering committee makes the decision after hearing the differing points of view.
4. Decisions may be made through a voting process under by-laws. Either everyone votes or some designated representatives of members vote. While many people are uncomfortable with the formality of using devices such as Roberts Rules of Order and by-laws, they do have the practical advantage of resolving many procedural issues that tend to surround such problems.

To attempt to avoid conflict over decision-making, the leadership can take a number of steps:

• In advance set up clear agendas, rules, and roles;
• Understand that change is difficult for everyone and extremely difficult for some;
• Avoid situations that force people to lose face;
• Anticipate problems in advance and prepare people for them.

6. Coordinating all activities

As an established organization, the coalition will become more complex and will have greater need for processes that keep the different parts of the coalition focused. These processes should be capable of doing the following:

• Monitoring the structures that are performing the work;
• Providing direction for the evaluation of activities;
• Setting clear expectations for all committees and task groups;
• Maintaining a sense of history and continuity.

Stages of Development

Several researchers have formulated developmental models showing the stages of coalition development. Without doing too much damage to the original model, we believe this can be used to show with some specificity how at least one coalition might develop.¹²

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