Effective Collaborations in Nutrition Research

Larissa Calancie Doctoral candidate Nutrition Department University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Outline Evidence for effective collaborations Group activity Framework for effective collaborations Current research Discussion about barriers and needs for technical assistance

Evidence for effective collaborations Little evidence about what works for food (policy) councils Descriptions Case studies Extrapolations

Evidence for effective collaborations Learn from other fields Public health Anti-tobacco coalitions Preventing risky behaviors among adolescents Obesity prevention Intimate partner violence prevention Good governance Partnerships for synergy Organizational behavior Power dynamics Organizational characteristics Other fields?

Group activity Before learning what other fields have found, what do you think about important factors for successful councils?

Framework for effective collaborations* *Framework is adapted from the following published study: Allen, N. E., Javdani, S., Lehrner, A. L., & Walden, A. L. (2012). Changing the Text : Modeling Council Capacity to Produce Institutionalized Change. American Journal of Community Psychology, 49(3-4), 317 331.

Framework for effective collaborations Council factors Definitions Leadership Support and commitment from leadership Inclusive council climate Shared power and decision making; shared mission; conflict resolution Breadth of active membership Range of stakeholders actively participating in council Formality of council structure Degree of structure guiding council practices and meetings Member empowerment Degree to which members perceived being individually empowered to affect change (i.e., to influence policy and practice in their home agencies and in the community) as a result of their participation in the council Community context Members perception of how much the communities in which the council operates are supportive and committed to change, including through powerful stakeholders, local leaders, and existence of adequate resources

Framework for effective collaborations Council factor Definition Knowledge Members are exposed to information about the food system and each others activities related to the food system Relationships Connections between group members Perceived credibility of the council Members perceptions about whether the community views the group as a trustworthy authority on food system related issues Council members activities in their home organizations and communities Range of activities that group members can participate in that further the mission or vision of their group Perceived impact FPC leaders and members perceptions of council-level accomplishments, or steps toward achieving the council s goals

Framework for effective collaborations What are your reactions to the framework?

Current research Test framework Developed a Food Council Self Assessment to measure each construct in the framework Goal is to identify best practices among councils Solicited input from council experts and council members Finalized assessment 30 randomly selected councils in the US, Canada, and Tribal Nations Use statistics to test how well the framework fits with the data we get from councils

Current research Test framework Revise Food Council Self Assessment after initial pilot test Test framework with 100 randomly selected councils in the US, Canada, and Tribal Nations Provide feedback reports to all councils who participate in the pilot testing round and the larger survey round Council-specific reports Summary report of all councils Highlight strengths and opportunities for improvement

Discussion about barriers and needs for technical assistance What barriers would you face in addressing these factors in your council? What type of technical assistance would help you address these barriers?

Thank you! Questions? Thoughts?

Presentation resources Frozen fields photograph by Ezequiel Chernikoff Flickr Community Commons Link Questions picture Link