Good solid relationships make programs work

Abstract

Aims: This study examines key facilitating and hindering factors to the success of community-academic partnerships (CAPs)—interorganizational collaboratives extending beyond research boundaries to integrate community perspectives into evidence-based interventions. In collaboration with a public health consortium in Flint, Michigan, the study sought to identify and understand key determinants to the development of CAPs and extend this narrative to the Flint community’s experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants were key representatives from 25 organizations leading public health equity efforts in Flint, Michigan as part of the Partnership Consortium Core. Guided by the Model of Research Community Partnership, a sequential mixed methods approach (QUAN → QUAL) was applied to provide an assessment of determinants to a CAP’s initial formation as categorized by interpersonal processes, operational processes, and network processes. Quantitative survey data identified key facilitating and hindering factors; qualitative interview data then expanded on responses and elaborated on factors with context and experiences from partners.

Results: Results contribute rich details on process and perspectives of a CAP developed in Flint. Facilitating factors related to interpersonal processes and hindering factors related to operational processes were most frequently endorsed.

Conclusions: Eliciting community partner perspectives are important to develop key strategies that can better meet community concerns. By identifying facilitating and hindering factors to CAP success throughout its formation phase, we provide clinical and community researchers with insights into approaches that may benefit future collaborations facing crises or challenges for improved partnership outcomes across interpersonal, operational, and network processes of CAPs.