title: Collaborative initiatives: where the rubber meets the road in community partnerships.
abstract: Amajor challenge facing a community partnership is the implementation of its collaborative initiatives. This article examines the progress Community Care Networks (CCNs) made in implementing their initiatives and factors that helped or hindered their progress. Study findings suggest that partnership progress is affected by external market and regulatory factors beyond the control of the partnership, the availability of local community resources to support efforts, the scope and intensity of tasks associated with an initiative, expansion of the partnership to include new members, and the balance of work between partners and paid partnership staff. Implications of study findings for community partnerships include (1) recognizing and anticipating dependency on others, (2) acknowledging that the tasks that lie ahead will be more complicated than imagined, (3) maintaining focus on priorities, and (4) learning to be adaptive and creative, given a constantly changing environment.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.
authors.forename: Gloria J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bazzoli
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shortell
authors.forename: Shoshanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sofaer
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasnain-Wynia
authors.forename: Ann P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Zukoski
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004181:Directories as Topic; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000592:standards; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States