How can local government be better supported to collaborate for community health and wellbeing?

Abstract

AbstractCollaboration is a key strategy among local governments as expectations of the sector grow and resources to meet them fall short. Thus, more research is needed to consider how local governments can be supported to collaborate with others, not least for community health and wellbeing outcomes. In an earlier study, we explored inter‐municipal cooperation using social network analysis and local government perspectives on community health and wellbeing in the Australian state of Tasmania. Extending that study in ways reported here, we interviewed elected representatives and council staff to understand how and why Tasmanian local governments might collaborate with others to support community health and wellbeing. Findings show participants want councils to work more collaboratively to effectively deal with common challenges but are impeded by factors such as isolation and resource shortages. Tasmania's local government reform and Healthy Tasmania strategic plan are significant opportunities for collaborative practice to be enhanced among its local governments generally, and specifically in relation to community health and wellbeing. We advocate for a more considered approach to collaboration for community health and wellbeing that could deliver far‐reaching benefits for local governments and their communities.Points for practitioners Collaboration in local government is often described in terms of ‘shared services’ and tends to focus on transactional services that require little tailoring to local communities. Our study found municipal personnel want their councils to work more collaboratively to address common place‐specific issues related to community health and wellbeing, but are influenced by cultures of self‐sufficiency, organisational capacity and support, connections, and legislation and policy processes. Local government collaborative practices could be supported by the development of a place‐based policy framework to guide collaboration across local government service types, establishment of an informal statewide community health and wellbeing network for councils to facilitate peer learning and support, funding guidelines that explicitly support and encourage collaboration, and identifying collaboration as a priority in strategic plans, policies, and frameworks.