Coalition Self-Assessment Tool

By Brother Dallas Wilson

Assessment Tooling

Completing this checklist will provide a general picture of the coalition’s stage of development and may point out areas in which technical assistance, training, or other support is needed. For each characteristic listed, simply put a checkmark in the box that most appropriately indicates the presence or absence of the characteristic in the coalition you are assessing: Absent, Present but limited, Present, or NA (not applicable at this stage of development). If you don’t know or are not sure, if a characteristic is present, check Don’t Know.

This self-assessment is anonymous.

Coalition Characteristics	Absent	Present but Limited	NA	Don't Know
Coalition Participant
Lead Agency
1. Provides management-level commitment and support to the coalition
2. Commits personnel and financial resources to the coalition
3. Has knowledge of coalition-building process
4. Has collaboration experience
5. Replaces agency representative if vacancy occurs
6. Trains successive lead agency
7. Remains involved when no longer the lead agency
Staff
1. Has knowledge of coalition building process
2. Demonstrates skill in writing proposals and obtaining funding/resources
3. Offers training to members as appropriate
4. Has training in assessment and research methods
5. Encourages collaboration and negotiation
6. Communicates effectively with members
Leaders
1. Are committed to the coalition's mission
2. Provide leadership and guidance in the maintenance of the coalition
3. Have appropriate time
4. Plan effectively and efficiently
5. Have knowledge in the content area
6. Demonstrate flexibility
7. Demonstrate a sense of humor
8. Promote equal status and collaboration among member organizations
9. Are adept in organizational and communication skills
10. Work within influential political and community networks
11. Are competent in negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution
12. Are attentive to individual member concerns
13. Are effective in managing meetings
14. Are adept in garnering resources
15. Value members' input
16. Recognize members for their contributions
Members
1. Share coalition's mission
2. Have a variety of resources and skills to offer
3. Clearly understand their roles
4. Actively plan, implement, and evaluate activities
5. Assume lead responsibility for tasks
6. Share the workload
7. Are regularly involved in meeting and/or activities
8. Communicate well with each other
9. Feel a sense of accomplishment
10. Seek out training opportunities
Coalition Structure
1. Has processes for decision making
2. Has processes for problem-solving and conflict resolution
3. Has goals and objectives in writing
4. Provides for regular, structured meetings
5. Establishes effective communication mechanisms
6. Has organization chart
7. Has written job descriptions
8. Has a core planning group
9. Has committees
Coalition Process
1. Has processes for decision making
2. Has processes for problem solving
3. Has process for resource allocation
4. Has mechanisms for evaluation
5. Has a mechanism for accountability of members completing assignments in a timely manner
6. Has a mechanism for new member orientation
7. Has a mechanism for training members
Stages of Coalition Development
Formation
1. Permanent staff is designated
2. Membership is broad-based, includes community leaders, professionals, grass-roots community organizers who represent the target channels and population, etc.
3. There is a designated office and/or meeting space
4. Coalition structures are in place, see 1-9 under "Coalition Structure" above
Implementation
1. Coalition structures are in place, see 1-7 under "Coalition Processes" above
2. Needs assessment is conducted
3. Strategic Plan for implementation is developed
4. Strategies are implemented as planned
Maintenance
1. Strategies are revised as necessary
2. Financial and material resources are secured
3. Coalition is broadly recognized as an authority on the issues it addresses
4. Numbers of members are maintained or increased
5. Membership benefits outweigh the costs
6. Members agree to disagree
7. Coalition is accessible to the community
8. Accomplishments are shared with members and community
Institutionalization
1. Coalition is included in other collaborative efforts
2. Coalition's sphere of influence includes state and private agencies and governing bodies
3. Coalition has access to power within legislative and executive branches of agencies and the government
4. Coalition activities are incorporated within other agencies or institutions
5. Long-term funding is obtained
6. Mission is refined or changed to encompass other populations and issues