Authors: Elizabeth Zack, Lynsy Smithson-Stanley, Jane Booth-Tobin, Hahrie Han 

Key Question: What are the characteristics of effective, well-functioning coalitions that persist over time?

Research Products: 

• Report: Designing Resilient Coalitions 
  
  
• Reflection Guides: 
  • Coalition Reflection Guide for Existing Coalitions
  • Coalition Reflection Guide for New Coalitions

Description:

This report synthesizes insights from scholarly research on the factors that make coalitions effective. Our goal is to support organizations, foundations, and other entities seeking to build coalitions by identifying the conditions that create resilient, well-functioning collaborations across stakeholder groups. Although there is no formula for building an effective coalition, researchers from a wide range of academic fields, including political science, sociology, economics, business management, and community health argue that intangible resources like buy-in, commitment, trust, and agency are the building blocks of resilient coalitions. But these qualities do not emerge spontaneously but grow out of coalition architecture that leaders and members collectively put into place. Coalition architecture is thus foundational to making coalitions work.

Across different types of coalitions, from political coalitions to business collaborations and public-private partnerships, the literature identifies a consistent set of features of good coalition architecture: democratic governance, robust learning loops, and clear roles and trusting relationships. 
Download the full report here. 

Reflection Guides: 

Because existing coalitions face different needs and constraints than nascent ones, we've created separate reflection guides and tools for each:

• The Coalition Reflection Guide for New Coalitions lays out key steps and questions an emerging coalition should answer while setting up its structure and processes. You are welcome to print the guide to complete the activity or, once you’ve reviewed the PDF, use this online discussion guide. Feel free to make a copy, save, and complete together — or you can reach out via email to discuss the process together: [email protected].
• This assessment tool guides existing coalitions through a series of questions and short answer prompts. Reach out to [email protected] to make a copy for your coalition and to discuss collecting and interpreting responses.