Coalition Functioning Research Articles

Stronger Together: A Successful Model of Health System-Community Collective Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: Background: Discontinuity between health care delivery systems and community-based organizations is a significant barrier to improving population health. Objective: To describe the facilitators and barriers experienced by a health system–community partnership 15 months after implementation. Methods: Coalition members who led committees within the coalition or had active, sustained participation in coalition activities were invited to participate. Qualitative interviews used a semi-structured interview guide that elicited information on coalition functioning. A content analysis used inductive and deductive codes which were reviewed using a consensus process. Final themes centered on factors that facilitated or impeded the coalition’s success in supporting community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons Learned: Coalition stakeholder perspectives identified several critical factors: defined governance, a culture of trust that accelerates learning, reliable resources, and a health-care anchor organization committed to shared investment. Conclusions: Lessons from this endeavor contribute to a deeper understanding of successful practices for health system-community partnerships.

Cooperative Games Based on Coalition Functions in Biform Games

In this paper, we try to study a class of biform games with the coalition function from the cooperation of players. For this purpose, we interpret the biform games as cooperative games by defining a characteristic function of minimax representation based on the coalition function and giving the core and Shapley value as cooperative solutions. The relations between the coalition function and the characteristic function are investigated in terms of additivity and convexity, and the properties associated with the characteristic function, such as individual rationalities and cores, are compared with the corresponding results. The relations among the solutions of the normal-form game, biform game, and cooperative game are discussed with several examples.

How COVID-19 Impacted Community Health Coalition Functioning and Strategies Used to Adapt

Background/Objective: Community health coalitions are important resources for positively impacting health. Recent research analyzed how COVID-19 affected health coalition operations. This literature review examined both gray and peer reviewed literature to investigate the effect.
 Methods: A manual search of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science’s (ACTS) – Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (JCTS) 2022 Abstract Supplemental Volume 6 – Issue – s1 and the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 2021 Poster Session – PS1042.0 School Health & Wellness: Promoting School Health through Innovative Programs and Partnerships was performed. Additionally, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), PubMed, and OVID databases were searched for relevant articles. In total, 3393 articles were provided by the search strategy and 114 remained after removal of the duplicates, title, and abstract screening. After full-text examination, 52 were included for analysis.
 Results: Of the 52 articles analyzed, 19 discussed pausing in-person coalition activities, 7 discussed member commitment or enthusiasm, 6 indicated decreased funding, 4 indicated a change in meeting frequency, and 1 indicated decreased attendance. Additionally, 42 articles mentioned incorporating technologies to communicate virtually. The three most common virtual communication methods were phone [voice call] (22), email (19), and unspecified (18). Twenty-three articles indicated new or existing health coalition partnerships were leveraged to rapidly establish trust with communities.
 Conclusions: Incorporating virtual communication technologies was commonly used to avoid communication disruptions during the pandemic, but the variable impacts should be considered in future public health crises. Furthermore, the study determined a viable option to rapidly establish trust with new communities may be leveraging existing−or creating new−partnerships with organizations that have long-standing ties with target communities.
 Impact and Implications: This paper serves as a resource for possible strategies that health coalitions can incorporate into their operations to potentially improve resilience in public health crises until additional research is conducted.

Impact of COVID-19 on a Community Health Coalition and Its Residents in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Insights Into Adaptation From Focus Groups and Evaluation Reports.

Live Well Allegheny: Lifting Wellness for African Americans (LWA2) is a coalition in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) initiative. LWA2 consists of partner organizations addressing chronic disease prevention in six Black communities through nutrition, physical activity, and community-clinical linkage strategies. This analysis focuses on qualitative data exploring the influence of COVID-19 on coalition functioning and communities. We conducted focus groups with residents in REACH communities and collected evaluation reports from partner organizations. Three focus groups assessed awareness of and participation in the REACH initiative, feedback, and the impact of COVID-19 when applicable. An additional focus group included questions related to flu vaccine messaging and the COVID-19 vaccine. These data sources provided insight regarding how COVID-19 affected planned tasks. Evaluation team members analyzed focus groups and collated summaries as part of a larger comprehensive evaluation. Partner organizations experienced an increase in food stamp applications, delays in opening farmers' markets, a shift to virtual preventive health programs, canceled in-person events, and programmatic interruptions that shifted long-term goals. Community resident concerns included difficulty accessing public transportation, decreased physical activity, fear of in-person interactions, and increased wait times for mental health services. Coalition members developed methods to continue functioning and sustaining program activities. Residents were able to engage differently with chronic illness prevention techniques. Reports from the ongoing analysis will be used to adapt coalition functioning.

Impacts of boycotts concerning the Shapley value and extensions

If a player boycotts another player, it means that the cooperation gains of all coalitions containing both players vanish. In the associated coalition function, both players are now disjointly productive with respect to each other. The disjointly productive players property states that a player’s payoff does not change when another player who is disjointly productive to that player is removed from the game. We show that the Shapley value is the only TU-value that satisfies efficiency and the disjointly productive players property and for which the impact of a boycott is the same for the boycotting and the boycotted player. Analogous considerations are made for the proportional Shapley value and the class of (positively) weighted Shapley values.

United for health to improve urban food environments across five underserved communities: a cross-sector coalition approach

BackgroundCross-sector coalitions can be a powerful vehicle to promote adoption and implementation of evidence-based programs and policies across diverse racial/ethnic communities with a high chronic disease burden. Few studies have examined coalition composition, function, or capacity to promote learning among members.MethodsWe used a mixed methods approach to examine the United for Health coalition’s implementation of multiple food environment interventions across five low-income communities of color in Los Angeles, California (USA). At the coalition-level, key measures included the collaborative environment, membership characteristics, process and structure, communication, resources, strengths, challenges/barriers, and community impact. At the organizational- and individual-levels, we collected data on participation, leadership development, intraorganizational change, perceived benefits, and learning outcomes.FindingsOverall, the United for Health coalition produced five community gardens, three pop-up produce markets, and one farmers’ market; members also expanded Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) access at three existing farmers’ markets. Findings indicate early coalition strengths included having a mutual purpose, which was maintained throughout the study period. Coalition participation and engagement was consistently high, while coalition and inter-organizational communication improved over time. Strengths were membership diversity and the availability of learning opportunities. Benefits included leadership development and strategic alignment across organizations. Members demonstrated an increased awareness of the importance of culturally adapted interventions and knowledge of community health planning topics. Key implementation challenges were a lack of resources and social context barriers.ConclusionsExamining coalition function and maturation in a real-world context reveals important lessons for scholars and practitioners committed to addressing nutrition-related health disparities in marginalized and historically underserved communities. Future work should investigate the sustainability of externally funded cross-sector coalitions after funding ceases.

Initial conditions and functioning over time among community coalitions

Developing operationally strong community coalitions is critical to actualizing their potential for public health improvement. The purpose of this study was to measure how substance use prevention coalitions in Mexico functioned across their first 1.5 years, and to test associations between initial community contextual factors and subsequent coalition functioning and outcomes. Members of 19 coalitions participated in three waves of surveys about coalition context and functioning. We used paired t-tests to assess changes in coalition functioning and outcomes. Regression models estimated associations between coalition functioning and outcomes and initial community context. Among coalition functioning factors, over coalitions’ first 1.5 years, member engagement increased, as did coordinator skill and participatory leadership style. Two initial community context factors - community support for prevention and community champions - predicted several measures of process competence, but only community champions predicted perceived community improvement. Thus, community champions may play a pivotal role in later coalition success. The observed increases in member engagement and process competence may support subsequent coalition sustainability, a crucial component to realizing their potential impact on public health.

Bicycle advocacy organizations and coalitions’ capacity for equitable programming: Findings from a national survey

PurposeBicycling as a form of active travel (AT) can provide substantial health benefits for all populations, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Despite these known benefits, disparities and inequities in bicycling are still shown in many underserved community populations. Community bicycle coalitions and advocacy organizations are considered to be a key resource for increasing bicycling throughout U.S. communities. This study aimed to understand coalition's capacity (ability to identify, mobilize, and address problems) for programming to underserved populations (racial/ethnic minorities, women, low-income, youth, LGBTQ + communities) in their community. MethodsU.S. bicycle coalitions affiliated with the League of American Bicyclists were invited to participate in an online survey via email. The survey, grounded in a community organizing framework, addressed basic information about the coalition's functioning, community demographics, barriers/desired tools to reaching underserved populations, priorities, important outcomes of coalition's advocacy work, as well as a variety of other bicycle-related equity questions for specific populations. ResultsGeographically dispersed coalitions (n = 71) completed the survey. On average, participants stated a lack of programming in underserved populations compared to the general population, and also stated many barriers/desired tools for reaching underserved populations. On average, coalitions also ranked the importance of equity low, and ranked ‘providing equitable opportunities’ as a low priority. ConclusionThe capacity for delivering programming to underserved populations throughout the community is lacking. In order to address bicycling disparities among underserved community populations, bicycle coalitions should attempt to implement strategies to provide equitable programming.

506 Connections IN Health: A Model for Coalition Building?

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Participants will learn about the Connections IN Health partnership. Participants will learn about the mixed-methods, multi-level evaluation model used to evaluate health coalitions. Participants will learn about how the Connections IN Health partnership promoted coalition growth among Indiana chronic disease coalitions. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Chronic disease coalitions under the Connections IN Health (CINH) partnership were evaluated using a novel mixed-methods, multi-level evaluation framework that triangulates coalition functioning and effectiveness (F/E) surveys, social network analysis (SNA), and health data. F/E and SNA surveys were distributed to active coalition members of the chronic disease coalitions before, 1 year, and 2 years after CINH was implemented. F/E data was analyzed to detect significant changes in coalition members’ perceptions of coalition functioning and effectiveness using unpaired, two sample t-tests in R. SNA data was analyzed to detect changes in partnership networks over time, such as membership growth and strength of connections using R software. County-level health data will be evaluated at year 5. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The results of our longitudinal analysis of perceptions of functioning and effectiveness demonstrated significant increases in perceived leadership, satisfaction with the coalition, outcome efficacy, and members’ commitment to the coalition after Connections IN Health (CINH) was implemented. Social network analysis (SNA) demonstrated growth of coalition membership and strength of connections over time, including health information sharing, formal relationships, trust, and communication. SNA results also demonstrated increases in centralization and clustering among local vs. statewide organizations in coalition networks over time. Results were shared back with coalition members to make data-driven decisions about future coalition processes and functioning. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Health coalitions are a nationally recognized vehicle to promote and translate evidence-based practices to communities; however, evidence to support their effectiveness is limited at best. Our results provide evidence of CINH’s efficacy and identifies factors required to build effective and sustainable health coalitions.

Do conspiracy theories efficiently signal coalition membership? An experimental test using the "Who Said What?" design.

Theoretical work in evolutionary psychology have proposed that conspiracy theories may serve a coalitional function. Specifically, fringe and offensive statements such as conspiracy theories are expected to send a highly credible signal of coalition membership by clearly distinguishing the speaker's group from other groups. A key implication of this theory is that cognitive systems designed for alliance detection should intuitively interpret the endorsement of conspiracy theories as coalitional cues. To our knowledge, no previous studies have empirically investigated this claim. Taking the domain of environmental policy as our case, we examine the hypothesis that beliefs framed in a conspiratorial manner act as more efficient coalitional markers of environmental position than similar but non-conspiratorial beliefs. To test this prediction, quota sampled American participants (total N = 2462) completed two pre-registered Who-Said-What experiments where we measured if participants spontaneously categorize targets based on their environmental position, and if this categorization process is enhanced by the use of a conspiratorial frame. We find firm evidence that participants categorize by environmental position, but no evidence that the use of conspiratorial statements increases categorization strength and thus serves a coalitional function.

Which aspects of coalition functioning are key at different stages of coalition development? A qualitative comparative analysis.

Coalitions are increasingly utilized to promote positive community health outcomes. Typically, coalitions produce more desirable outcomes when coalition functioning is strong and the coalition model is implemented with fidelity. Although theory indicates that coalitions proceed through predictable stages of development, minimal research explicitly examines functioning and fidelity at these different stages. Within a larger evaluation of Washington State Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative, this cross-sectional study employs qualitative comparative analysis to illuminate the coalition functioning conditions necessary and sufficient to produce high model fidelity at different stages of development in 43 substance misuse prevention coalitions in one state. In the formation stage, only the presence of high levels of coalition leadership was sufficient to produce high model fidelity. In the maintenance stage, three combinations of conditions were sufficient: (1) sustainability planning if, and only if, accompanied by the absence of coalition participation costs, (2) coordinator leadership, and (3) a combination of coalition leadership and team cohesion. In the institutionalization stage, two solutions were sufficient: (1) coalition leadership if, and only if, accompanied by the absence of sustainability planning, and (2) sustainability planning if, and only if, accompanied by the absence of coordinator leadership. This study illustrates several tangible steps technical assistance providers may take to increase the likelihood of achieving model fidelity. In the formation stage, skillful and inclusive coalition leadership is important. In the maintenance stage, technical assistance should focus on reducing participant-perceived costs; increasing sustainability planning; enhancing coordinator-specific leadership; and developing team cohesion and coalition leadership. For coalitions in the institutionalization stage, coalition leadership and sustainability planning may be prime targets for technical assistance.Plain Language Summary: Community coalition approaches to addressing social problems are common and have some evidence of producing positive community outcomes. Research shows that coalitions produce more desirable outcomes when coalition functioning is strong and the coalition model is implemented as it was designed. Although theory suggests that coalitions proceed through predictable stages of development, few studies look at which supports are most needed, at each stage, to improve coalition functioning and implementation. This study aims to help answer that question by determining which aspects of coalition functioning, in which combinations, are key to strong, well-functioning coalitions at different developmental stages in a sample of prevention coalitions in Washington State focused on youth substance misuse. The results suggest that having a strong coalition leadership team is key for all coalitions, regardless of development stage. For coalitions earlier in their formation, this was especially true. For coalitions further into their development, the combination of strong coordinator leadership and strong team cohesion was particularly important. Finally, for the most well-established coalitions, if sustainability planning was weak, strong coalition team leadership was key; but if coordinator leadership was weak, strong sustainability planning was critical to offset the lack of strong leadership. The results can be used to inform the types of technical assistance provided to support coalitions at different developmental stages.

Values for level structures with polynomial-time algorithms, relevant coalition functions, and general considerations

Exponential runtimes of algorithms for values for games with transferable utility like the Shapley value are one of the biggest obstacles in the practical application of otherwise axiomatically convincing solution concepts of cooperative game theory. We investigate to what extent the hierarchical structure of a level structure improves runtimes compared to an unstructured player set. Representatively, we examine the Shapley levels value, the nested Shapley levels value, and, as a new value for level structures, the nested Owen levels value. For these values, we provide polynomial-time algorithms (under normal conditions) which are exact and therefore not approximation algorithms. Moreover, we introduce relevant coalition functions where all coalitions that are not relevant for the payoff calculation have a Harsanyi dividend of zero. Our results shed new light on the computation of values of the Harsanyi set as the Shapley value and many values from extensions of this set.

Volunteer and staff participants in social movements: a comparison of two local coalitions

ABSTRACT This paper examines how volunteer and staff participants influence coalition functioning and outcomes. We compare two environmental coalitions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: the Clean Rivers Campaign (CRC), which was supported by a general progressive movement community and led by organizational staff members, and Protect Our Parks (POP), an all-volunteer alliance that was part of a more specific anti-fracking movement community. While much research on social movement coalitions focuses on their formation, we show how coalition structure and types of participants affect the mobilization, longevity and goal achievement of our two cases. Both coalitions succeeded in mobilizing supporters for their campaigns, but the CRC enjoyed greater longevity and had a clearer impact on public policy. Paid staff and organizational members were better able to recruit new activists, maintain commitment and transform coalition goals, affecting longevity and goal achievement. This finding contributes to our understanding of the impacts of different types of structures and activists on coalition outcomes, suggesting that paid organizers do not necessarily limit the range of coalition tactics and goals.

A scenario of solar geoengineering governance: Vulnerable states demand, and act

The paper examines a scenario exercise concerning deployment of solar geoengineering by a small group of states that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Two groups of participants were each asked to provide expert decision-making advice to an alliance comprising great powers, and to propose a political response to the deployment initiative. This paper discusses the initial governance proposals and examines differences and exchanges between the groups throughout the exercise. The two groups delivered distinct governance proposals. The differences, which were driven largely by divergent worldviews and assumptions about the geopolitical context, provide insights into the complexities of responses to “free-driving” the deployment of solar geoengineering, internal functioning and cohesion of coalitions, and interactions among multiple responses to climate change.

The equivalence of the minimal dominant set and the myopic stable set for coalition function form games

In cooperative games, the coalition structure core is, despite its potential emptiness, one of the most popular solutions. While it is a fundamentally static concept, the consideration of a sequential extension of the underlying dominance correspondence gave rise to a selection of non-empty generalizations. Among these, the payoff-equivalence minimal dominant set and the myopic stable set are defined by a similar set of conditions. We identify some problems with the payoff-equivalence minimal dominant set and propose an appropriate reformulation called the minimal dominant set. We show that replacing asymptotic external stability by sequential weak dominance leaves the myopic stable set unaffected. The myopic stable set is therefore equivalent to the minimal dominant set.

Факторы формирования коалиционных правительств регионалистских и общенациональных политических партий в регионах Испании

Received 09.09.2020. The paper focuses on one of the most significant arenas of multi-level politics – the interaction between regionalist and state-wide parties in the creation and functioning of government coalitions at the regional level. The research is aimed at determining the factors influencing the creation of such coalitions in which regionalist parties act as coalition partners with a specific agenda. Spain provides significant empirical material for research on this issue, where regionalist parties function in most regions, and state-wide parties often enter government coalitions with them at the level of autonomous communities. A comparative analysis of the practices of concluding coalition agreements between statewide and regionalist political parties in the regions of Spain during the democratic period is a key research method. The theoretical part of the article provides an overview of the theories of party coalitions accumulated by Political Science since the 1950s and updated by researchers due to actualization of new circumstances in the context of multilevel politics. The empirical part of the article examines the influence of three categories of factors on the construction of coalition deals between regionalist and state-wide political parties in the Spanish autonomous communities, including: the size of the coalition, the ideological inter-party distance (comprising the regionalist-ideological dimension) and correspondence of the alignments of party forces at the regional and national levels. The research demonstrates that the factor of coalition size is fundamental for transactions between regionalist and state-wide political parties, while the other two categories of factors manifest themselves situationally. Acknowledgements. The research was carried out at the expense of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 19-18-00053 " Subnational regionalism and dynamics of multilevel politics (Russian and European practices)") at the Perm Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Creating and Applying the Coalition Vitality Assessment Tool: A Brief Report

This report describes the efforts of a technical assistance organization to build coalition capacity among 20 substance use prevention coalitions using a tool developed via eight principles of participatory research methods. Preliminary application of the self-assessment measure and feedback from coalitions suggests its value in strengthening coalition functioning.

The Equivalence of the Minimal Dominant Set and the Myopic Stable Set for Coalition Function Form Games

In cooperative games, the coalition structure core is, despite its potential emptiness, one of the most popular solutions. While it is a fundamentally static concept, the consideration of a sequential extension of the underlying dominance correspondence gave rise to a selection of non-empty generalizations. Among these, the payoff-equivalence minimal dominant set and the myopic stable set are defined by a similar set of conditions. We identify some problems with the payoff-equivalence minimal dominant set and propose an appropriate reformulation called the minimal dominant set. We show that replacing asymptotic external stability by sequential weak dominance leaves the myopic stable set unaffected. The myopic stable set is therefore equivalent to the minimal dominant set.

Toward Sexual Health Equity for Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth: An Intergenerational, Collaborative, Multisector Partnerships Approach to Structural Change.

Background. Gay, bisexual, and transgender youth (GBTY) experience sexual health inequities and contend with intersectional oppression. The Michigan Forward in Enhancing Research and Community Equity (MFierce) Coalition formed as an intergenerational, collaborative, multisector partnership with a focus on implementing community-identified policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies to address inequities and injustices. Aims. We describe MFierce coalition development and structural change activities organized within Collaborating for Equity and Justice (CEJ) principles and provide empirical data supporting the utility of such principles. Method. We prioritized leadership by GBTY and created personal and professional capacity-building activities to support GBTY in being change agents. Our work was grounded in community-engaged scholarship and used a shared-power community development process. Our PSE change intervention, the Health Access Initiative (HAI), was a structural change program for health facilities aimed at improving the quality of and access to sexual health care for GBTY. Results. We evaluated coalition functioning and activities through multimethod assessments and evaluated PSE changes through HAI participant surveys. Data demonstrated positive and steady coalition dynamics, multiple benefits of participation for GBTY, and strategies for collaborative multigenerational community work. HAI outcome data revealed significant increases in PSE changes. Discussion. Centering life experiences of GBTY in collaborative partnerships and building opportunities for professional and personal development can support sustainable community change. We offer recommendations for developing future intergenerational, collaborative, multisector partnerships that prioritize youth leadership. Conclusion. Collaborative methods and careful consideration of adult-youth dynamics can inform future transformative efforts focused on health equity and justice for GBTY.

A Direct Method of Interval Banzhaf Values of Interval Cooperative Games

The goal of this paper is to develop a direct method for computing interval Banzhaf values for a class of interval cooperative games. In this method, it is proven that the Banzhaf values of the associated cooperative games of interval cooperative games are monotonic and non-decreasing functions of coalitions’ payoffs under weaker coalition monotonicity-like conditions. So the interval Banzhaf values can be explicitly obtained through using only the lower and upper bounds of the coalitions’ interval payoffs, respectively. The proposed method does not employ interval subtractions and hereby can effectively avoid the irrational issues such as irreversibility and uncertainty enlargement. We prove some important and desirable properties of the interval Banzhaf values and illustrate the applicability and validity of the proposed method with a numerical example.