Developing and Sustaining
Community-Based Participatory
Research Partnerships:
A National Perspective
Kristine Wong, MPH - Program Director
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
Fostering Collaborative Community-Based Clinical
and Translational Research Meeting
National Center for Research Resources
September 14, 2007
Overview

Introduction to CCPH

Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships
for Prevention Research Project, 2002 – 2005

“Achieving the Promise of Community-Higher
Education Partnerships: A Community Partner
Summit,” 2006

CCPH Resources
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
Mission
To promote health (broadly defined) through
partnerships between
communities and higher educational institutions
CCPH Major Strategies




Create and expand opportunities for collaboration and
information sharing
Promote awareness about the benefits of communitycampus partnerships
Advocate for policies that facilitate and support
community-campus partnerships
Support service-learning and community-based
participatory research in higher education
CCPH Initiatives & Programs
Conferences
*Training Institutes
*Educational Calls
*Consultancy Network
*Annual Awards
*Community Partner Mobilization
*Ethical Considerations in CBPR
*Community-Engaged Scholarship for Health
Collaborative
*Engaged Institutions Initiative
*
Examining Community-Institutional
Partnerships for Prevention Research
Project, 2002 – 2005

Funding: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) - Prevention Research Center
Office through a cooperative agreement with the
Association of Schools of Public Health

Participant researchers: Representatives of 10
partner organizations

Products: (1) Knowledge synthesis: factors that
contribute to and impede successful prevention
research partnerships and (2) Evidence-based
curriculum that is offered online and through
training workshops
Examining Community-Institutional
Partnerships for Prevention Research
Project, 2002 – 2005
Overarching Goal:
To facilitate approaches for effectively
translating community interventions in
public health and prevention into
widespread practice at the community
level.
Examining Community-Institutional
Partnerships for Prevention Research
Project, 2002 – 2005
Aims:
1) To synthesize knowledge about
community-institutional partnerships for
prevention research
2) To build community and institutional
capacity for participatory research
Participant-Researchers
Representatives from 10 Partner Organizations:










Community-Based Public Health Caucus of the American Public Health
Association (national)
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (national)
Community Health Scholars Program (national)
Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center – Detroit, MI
Harlem Community and Academic Partnership – New York City, NY
Harlem Health Promotion Center – New York City, NY
National Community Committee of the CDC Prevention Research
Centers
Seattle Partners for Healthier Communities – Seattle, WA
Wellesley Institute - Toronto, Canada
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, New Haven, CT
Year 1 (2002-2003)


Examined and synthesized existing data on
community-institutional partnerships for
prevention research.
Results:


Identified characteristics of successful
partnerships and barriers to successful
partnerships
Made recommendations for building the capacity
of communities, institutions and funding agencies
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining
partnerships for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):9891003; The Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining
Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Major Findings: Characteristics of
Successful Partnerships – Part I






Trusting relationships
Equitable processes and procedures
Diverse membership
Tangible benefits to all partners
Balance between partnership process, activities,
and outcomes
Significant community involvement in scientifically
sound research
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining
partnerships for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):9891003; The Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining
Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Major Findings: Characteristics of
Successful Partnerships – Part II






Supportive partner organization policies and
reward structures
Leadership at multiple levels
Culturally competent and appropriately skilled
staff and researchers
Collaborative dissemination
Ongoing partnership assessment, improvement,
and celebration
Sustainable impact
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining partnerships
for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):989-1003; The Examining
Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory
Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Major Findings: Barriers to
Successful Partnerships

When characteristics of successful partnerships
are absent

Funding mechanisms, policies, and procedures:
*Limited funding sources
*Funding agency requirements, definitions,
timelines, and reviews
*Lack of funding and funding mechanisms that
specifically support community involvement as an
equal research partner
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining partnerships
for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):989-1003; The Examining
Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining Community-Based Participatory
Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Recommendations for Emerging &
Established Partnerships – Part I
*Embrace diversity within the partnership
*Decide who the “community” is, and who
“represents” the community
*Develop structures and processes that help
develop trust and shared leadership among
partners
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining
partnerships for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):9891003; The Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining
Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Recommendations for Emerging &
Established Partnerships – Part II
*Provide training and technical assistance to
partners –build capacity!
*Plan ahead for sustainability
*Be strategic about dissemination
*Invest in ongoing assessment,
improvement, and celebration
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining
partnerships for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):9891003; The Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining
Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Year 2 (2003-2004)

Policy Working Group
Goal: To implement policy recommendations by
collaborating with funding agencies to support
partnership infrastructure, assess partnerships in
proposals and design peer review processes

Training Working Group
Goal: To develop and test a training curriculum for
partnerships on developing and sustaining CBPR
partnerships
Sources: Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Building and sustaining
partnerships for prevention research: findings from a national collaborative. Journal of Urban Health, 2006 Nov;83(6):9891003; The Examining Community-Institutional Partnerships for Prevention Research Group. Developing and Sustaining
Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships: A Skill-Building Curriculum. 2006. www.cbprcurriculum.info
Year 3 and beyond (2004-present)

Completed evidence-based curriculum for
Developing & Sustaining CBPR Partnerships
(2005)
www.cbprcurriculum.info

Pilot-tested it through a 4-day intensive training
institute for partnership teams (Aug. 2005)

Team-taught the curriculum at:
2004 - 2007
2005 - 2007
2006
2006
CCPH conference workshops
APHA Continuing Education Institutes
Canadian CBR Skills-Building Workshop
Regional workshops in Oregon with CCPH,
NW Health Foundation & community partners
Achieving the Promise of
Community-Higher Education Partnerships:
A Community Partner Summit
April 24-26, 2006
Wingspread Conference Center, Racine, WI
Achieving the Promise of
Community-Higher Education Partnerships:
A Community Partner Summit
Convened by CCPH, with the support of:
 Community-Based Public Health Caucus of the
American Public Health Association
 National Community-Based Organization
Network
 National Community Committee of the CDC
Prevention Research Center Program
Funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation, the
Johnson Foundation, and Atlantic Philanthropies
Achieving the Promise of
Community-Higher Education Partnerships:
A Community Partner Summit
Intended Outcomes





Develop and gain clarity on the current state of community-higher
education partnerships
Uncover community perspectives on the key insights and
ingredients of effective, authentic community-higher education
partnerships
Build the case for the importance of community-higher education
partnerships
Develop a case of actionable recommendations for maximizing
the potential of community-higher education partnerships
Create a framework and next steps for developing an ongoing
vehicle to increase the number and effectiveness of these
partnerships, and ensure that communities are involved in the
dialogues and decisions about these partnerships that affect them
Achieving the Promise of
Community-Higher Education Partnerships:
A Community Partner Summit
Purpose:
To advance authentic community-higher
education partnerships by mobilizing a
network of experienced community partners
Participants:
23 experienced community partners from a
diversity of communities across the U.S.
Summit Agenda






What is the Current Reality of Community-Higher
Education Partnerships?
-What’s Working/Not Working, and Why?
-What’s Holding Us Back?
What is our Vision for the Future of CommunityHigher Education Partnerships?
What Do We Mean By Authentic Partnerships?
How Can Community-Higher Education
Partnerships More Fully Realize Their Potential?
What are our “Big Ideas” and Recommendations?
Where Do we Go From Here?
What’s the reality of community-higher
education partnerships?
“We are here because we are passionate about these
partnerships, but they are not working.”
-Ira SenGupta,
Cross Cultural Health Care Program, Seattle, WA
“Our experience has been that the university was there for
the community, to share knowledge…we have had a long
history of working together. We have built social capital
through the work of our partnership.”
-Lola Sablan Santos,
Guam Communications Network, Long Beach, CA
The Current Reality of CommunityHigher Education Partnerships: Part I

There is a “community engagement buzz” in higher education
and funding circles

The predominant model is not a partnership; much of this is due
to the fact that that the playing field is not level.

Community-higher education partnerships benefit a variety of
stakeholder groups.

The relationship between community and campus partners is
largely based on individuals and funding, and is not
institutionalized.

There is often an assumption by academic institutions, funding
agencies, and policymakers that community groups need the
academy to have legitimate conversations and that academic
knowledge has a greater value than community knowledge.
The Current Reality of CommunityHigher Education Partnerships: Part II

Building community capacity through strong community-based
organizations is not a major conversation or an explicit goal of
many partnerships

Despite the challenges, there is good news for communities
who are new to partnerships with colleges and universities.
Communities are realizing their power to change the nature of
their relationships with higher educational institutions.

There are significant differences between mature partnerships
and early partnerships
What’s Working? Part I

When community-based research partnerships are
structured in a manner that uses the funding and
partnership to develop skills among community members,
and build infrastructure

Partnerships that are developed and implemented in a way
that is transparent, equitable, sustainable, and accountable
to both the community and the academic partner.

When there is an ongoing two-way engagement process
through community competency and cultural competency,
as well as an understanding of the reality and context of an
academic environment.
What’s Working? Part II

When research questions are developed and structured in a
way that is relevant to community.

When there is support from funding agencies that
understand how equal partnerships are developed and
sustained, and incorporates this understanding into their
peer review and proposal evaluation process.
What’s Not Working?









No community engagement as proposal is developed
Inequitable distribution of power and resources
Decisions made behind closed doors
Lack of partner commitment to community’s future
No guidelines for funders and peer reviewers
No planning for sustainability, no exit strategy
Community lacks infrastructure to fully engage
Presumption that communities speak with one voice
Presumption that service-learning and CBPR are same
Framework for Authentic Partnerships
1) Quality Processes
2) Meaningful outcomes that are
tangible and relevant to
communities
3) Transformation at multiple levels:
personal, community, institutional,
systems of knowledge, political
Conclusions Part I - Community-higher
education partnerships are:







Vehicles for social change
A source of benefits for all partners
Varied in level of authenticity, but predominantly
not authentic
Are usually not designed to equalize power
differentials
Rarely equal between campus and community
Rarely prioritize community capacity building
Largely based on individuals and not
institutionalized
Conclusions Part II

For the most part, communities do not
have the time, resources, or access to
knowledge about engaging in partnerships
on their own terms

However, communities are learning from
each other and are asserting their desire to
build capacity through peer mentoring,
training programs, and partnership work
(such as through community-based
participatory research)
Recommendations






Community partners have the responsibility to share their
collective wisdom and knowledge
Community involvement and capacity building is needed at the
local, regional, and national levels
Both partners must familiarize themselves with the culture and
daily realities of community-based organizations and academia
Both partners must work together to change the culture of
higher education to elevate credibility for community
experiences and expertise
Funding agencies need to reexamine funding priorities,
processes, and decisions
Community partners should form a collective body to increase
capacity through mentoring, networking, and advocacy
CPS Workgroups
Mentoring Workgroup - Purpose:
To develop and implement peer mentoring and leadership
development activities that build the capacity of community
partners to engage in authentic community-higher education
partnerships, and succeed in their community-building work.
Policy Workgroup - Purpose:
1) To develop and advocate for policies that support authentic
community-higher education partnerships, working in
collaboration with existing national groups, community
partners, funders, and academic allies.
2) To develop tools and strategies for advocating to community
partners, academia, and funding agencies regarding
policies that support authentic community-higher education
partnerships.
Dissemination and Replication

Local, national, regional conferences
among community, academia, and community health
practitioners

American Public Health Association annual meeting

Regional Community Partner Summit: Convened by the
University of Illinois at Chicago, 2007

CPS Poster – can be borrowed from CCPH for your
conference, event, or community partner meeting/training
CCPH Resources
Available at CCPH Website – www.ccph.info
-CBPR resources
-Community Partner Summit information
-CBPR and Research Ethics call series handouts, audiofiles
-Community-Engaged Scholarship resources
-Partnership Matters Newsletter
-Membership Benefits
Listservs:
-CCPH E-News, CBPR – to subscribe, sign up on info
sheet being passed around, or visit:
https://mailman.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/cbpr
(CBPR listserv only)