1.
Research Aims
The current research intended to assist in shaping the role of a coordinator in
order to improve the community framework for struggle with drugs and
alcohol problems. It focuses on in-depth inspection of the factors promoting
success in a coordinator's role in contrast with the potentially impeding
factors.
2.
Aims of the Current Report
The report pertains to the findings of two research phases; namely, the first
phase which comprised three case studies and the second phase which entailed
the entire coordinators' population and included the results from five regional
focus-groups and coordinators' self-report questionnaires. The report presents
the findings with respect to the essence of a coordinator's role and its
characteristics according to coordinators' own perception, their role-partners
and the personnel at the headquarters of the anti-drugs and alcohol national
authority. Special emphasis was placed on the construal of success in
coordinator's role and the promoting versus impeding factors. The report also
refers to the coordinators' perceptions of self-efficacy and burnout.
3. Research Method
This report is based on two research phases: (a) phase one, which comprised a
case study in three research sites – Haifa, Carmiel and the regional council of
Emek Yezreel. Each of the three sites represents a prototypical settlement
where the National Authority for Anti-Drug and Alcohol Struggle works in its
statewide framework; (b) phase two, which involved in-depth interviews with
the coordinators in a format of focus groups and administration of self-report
semi-structured questionnaires. Forty-seven coordinators participated in this
research phase. The questionnaire and the interview schedule for the focus
groups were constructed on the basis of findings of the first research phase,
existing research instruments and work meetings with the regional facilitators,
the head of the community department and the chief scientist of the National
Authority.
4. Major Findings
‫א‬
a. The official documents clearly define the activities in which a coordinator
is expected to engage and the persons with whom he or she is to maintain
contacts. However, these documents lack clear reference to the priorities
with regard to the various tasks, most desirable target populations, the
responsibility and authority of the local governments versus the National
Authority. In addition, the documents hardly specify a coordinator's role
with respect to the use of alcohol and concerning various committees.
b. Analysis of the documents, interviews with the staff at the headquarters
and with the coordinators points at lack of clarity concerning expected and
measurable outcomes in terms of a coordinator's work with regard to drug
and alcohol use.
c. The documents do not specify the relationships between a coordinator's
activities and the actual outcomes.
d. The characteristics of a coordinator's role

A coordinator's role is perceived as important, unique, professional and
irreplaceable. Albeit, the uniqueness of this role is not altogether clear
to the community residents and the professionals operating there. The
main thrust of a coordinator's activities concentrates on integration and
building partnerships (cooperation). Coordinators invest considerable
efforts in these domains, thus are in need of support system, including
training.

Actual and desirable profile. The characteristics which describe the
actual and desirable profile of a coordinator include: dispositions, such
as self-efficacy, dynamism, multi-tasking capability, creativity,
personal initiative, capacity of building and maintaining interpersonal
relationships and networking, self-learning and learning from
experience, mapping capability at the organizational, community,
political and personal level. It is worth noting, that these features were
derived by means of the coordinators' intuitions rather than systematic
analysis. Coordinators are located at a central position in the
community organizational structure, allowing them familiarity with the
organizational map, initiation and actual building of various
partnerships.
‫ב‬

A coordinator's activities include representation, marketing,
development and maintenance of partnerships, project development
and maintenance in order to demonstrate visibility, mobilize, integrate
and leverage resources. Coordinators work with various populations in
the community. The emphases in coordinators' activities change over
time: initially they engage in community mapping and later they
concentrate on projects and partnerships building and maintenance.

Dilemmas in a coordinator's role.
o Double accountability – coordinators maneuver between the
local government and the National Authority for Anti-Drug and
Alcohol Struggle.
o Position and Centrality of the National Authority as an
organization granting a sense of belonging to coordinators in
their daily activities.
o A coordinator's authority – coordinators ponder about the
very existence of their authority and sources of its legitimacy.
Nevertheless, they stress the importance of professional
knowledge, the position at the organizational hierarchy and
their available resources as a partial source of their legitimacy.
o Management ingredients in a coordinator's role. The
coordinators barely see management aspects in their role since
they usually do not supervise subordinates. The role is mainly
viewed as executive in nature. Such executive focus seems to
interfere with strategic thinking.
o Decisiveness dilemma. The coordinates contemplate over the
limits of decisiveness in efforts of building partnerships or
initiating activities, and how, if at all, specify this limit.
e. Success in a coordinator's role.

Most of the success stories describe activities with parents.

Generally, the coordinators experience difficulty in relaying
success stories. Success in their eyes appears elusive, easily
transferable into lack of success.
‫ג‬

Definition of success changes as a function of a location and phase
in coordinators' seniority on the job.

Outcomes of activities usually are not perceived as measures of
success (including decrease in use of drugs or alcohol).

Success is defined as quantitative or essential change, as a
coordinator becoming a "brand address", institutionalization of
activities, building partnerships and cooperating with other
professionals in the community, attaining goals and making the
issues of drugs and alcohol visible at the community level. Some
coordinators view matching the activities to the community needs
as a success.

No minimal performance or outcomes are specified, allowing
evaluation of a coordinator's success. Such paucity on the one hand
fosters flexibility and greater fit with the specific community, but
on the other hand impedes coordinators' sense of success due to
difficulty in measuring it.

The findings point at three criteria for evaluating success of
partnerships: success of the idea, the very establishment of
partnership and taking place of an activity.

Measures of success. The coordinators propose a variety of
measures, which change as a function of a coordinator's seniority,
community characteristics and organizational structure. Among
the suggested measures were: the mere existence of an activity,
ascribing credit to the National Authority, the number of
participants, continuance of an activity and its extension. There
was no reference to outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and
attitudes.
f. Factors affecting a coordinator's success. (1) The National Authority –
its policy, messages, support and guidance provided to coordinators; (2)
personal factors, such as mapping capability on the community,
organizational, political and personal level, the capacity to develop and
sustain relationships with other professionals and officials, the capability
to develop projects, marketing and PR capability. Prior knowledge in the
‫ד‬
domain of drugs and alcohol has no significant impact on success.
However, prior experience and educational background allows creating a
unique niche; (3) support of the local government.
g. Factors impeding a coordinator's success: organizational aspects such as
dependence on others, position at the organizational structure, gap between
perceptions at the headquarters and the line, double accountability – The
National Authority and the local government and competition or rivalry
with other professionals in the area.
h. Self-efficacy. The coordinators exhibit high levels of self-efficacy.
i. Burnout. The findings show low levels of the coordinators' burnout.
Presumably, group meetings and meetings with the facilitator mitigate
their burnout.
Recommendations
1. Definition of "core job functions and activities" of a coordinator at the national
and community level, with some of these being universal while some
matching the community, culture and sector characteristics.
2. Discussion with regard to the need to match coordinators' education and
training with the phase in their job seniority. Potential training areas
constitute: management of partnership, project management, marketing and
PR.
3. Development of tools allowing systematic and in-depth mapping of the
community.
4. Providing responses at the headquarters level to the following issues:

Clear and applicable definition of the National authority policy with
respect to alcohol, including coordinators' role in this area in all sectors,
particularly in the Arab sector.

Clear definition of areas of responsibility of the National Authority versus
the local government.

Clarification with regard to priorities of coordinators' tasks and target
populations.

Clarification with regard to the committees to be established, their
missions and authority.
‫ה‬

Clear definition concerning expected outcomes of a coordinator's
activities, in measurable terms and specification of ways to follow-up of
these outcomes.

Periodical process of systematic reflection amongst the coordinators and
learning from success, including documentation of the process and
dissemination of the protocols.

Sharpening the National authority messages, notably definition in
operational terms of goals, objectives and modes of operation expected
from the coordinators.
5. To convene focus groups of coordinators and facilitators, designed to develop
"core measures" of the universal criteria on the basis of those presented in the
current report.
6. Discussion concerning the authority and managerial aspects in a coordinator's
role at the regional and national (headquarters level).
7. Sharpen and clarify the relationship between the National Authority and the
local governments.
8. Development tools for community mapping.
9. Definition of "minimum performance level" concerning outcomes, activities,
projects and partnerships expected from coordinators.
Issues for Discussion

Whether and to what extent the National Authority is willing to engage with
drugs and alcohol problems at the overall societal level?

Who constitutes the supporting community, professional "home" and security
network for the coordinators – the National Authority, the facilitators or both?
‫ו‬
‫ז‬