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Community Based Organization & Resident Engagement with hands underneath
Definition: Build trust with the community/residents through transparent and inclusive communication, respectful co-learning, and leveraging community expertise to inform equitable practices.

Why It Matters: Services and interventions for the community are best informed by the community ("nothing about us - without us - is for us"). Mutual partnerships between CBOs, residents, and government entities allow for beneficial exchange of information and services to improve community health at large.
 
Type Title Description
Templates Community Engagement & Participation Checklist Developed by PolicyLink, this outline identifies important components of an authentic and participatory community engagement process. Characteristics of participatory community change include trust, shared vision, partnerships with public agencies, capacity, and policy action.
Templates Community Engagement Assessment Tool This Community Engagement Assessment Tool serves as a guide to help grow an organization’s understanding of community engagement and define its intentions. Organizations can use this tool with staff and external partners to assess strengths and gaps.
Templates Community Engagement Toolkit This toolkit shares a series of tools for the development of an equitable and strategic community engagement plan. It includes tools for exploring areas in the spectrum of community engagement, asset-based community development, and capacity building.
Trainings Community Engagement: The People's Approach to Improving Health and Social Outcomes This course focuses on community participation and the active role of local health departments in community engagement methods. It includes a summary of case studies, best practices, and methods for fostering community discourse and participation, as well as for incorporating community involvement into public health practice.
Guides Partnering with Community- Based Organizations for More Broad- Based Public Engagement This webinar discusses rural health equity efforts in the state of Colorado and contains real-life examples of equity work. While this resource is Colorado-centric, it is a helpful introduction to the concept of rural health equity and multi-partner collaboration necessary when addressing inequities in small, rural communities. Rural Resource
Frameworks Community Engagement Framework This community engagement framework assesses the strengths of an organization instead of starting from a needs-based approach. Values in this framework include integrity, transparency, collaboration, equity, and self-reflection.
Type Title Description
Trainings Collective Impact Part 1: Common Agenda & Shared Measure This training is part one of a two-part introductory series to the Collective Impact framework. Participants will gain an understanding of what collective impact is and how it can be used to advance public health initiatives.
Trainings Collective Impact Part 2: Mutually Reinforcing Activities, Continuous Communication, & Backbone Support Part two of a two-part introductory series to the Collective Impact framework, this training builds upon lessons of part one by learning about the last three conditions of the Collective Impact framework and mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support.
Guides Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR): A Strategy for Building Healthy Communities and Promoting Health through Policy Chang Presented by PolicyLink and UC Berkeley, this guide combines lessons and best practices from around the country. Included are six case studies from California that share learned experiences, promising practices, sample resources, and tools to assist local leaders in planning their own CBPR inspired projects.
Guides A Guide to Supporting Engagement & Resiliency in Rural Communities While this guide is catered towards Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (MAP) process, concepts and strategies identified in this guide are relevant for rural communities. Provided are essential elements of successful engagement with rural communities, including trust and partnerships. Rural Resource
Frameworks Prevention Institute: Collaboration Multiplier The Collaboration Multiplier is a framework and tool used for analyzing collaborative efforts across sectors. It is designed to serve as a starting point for understanding the contributions of different fields and for building effective interdisciplinary efforts through partnerships.
Type Title Description
2023 CA LHJ Examples Marin County HHS Strong within Public Health and HHS: Marin County Health and Human Services has a long history of developing, nurturing, and evolving community collaboratives to address complex public health issues and achieve shared goals
2023 CA LHJ Examples Healthy Marin Short
Frameworks The Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership The Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership charts a pathway for strengthening and transforming local democracies. Leaders across multiple sectors such as CBOs, local governments, and philanthropic partners, can use this spectrum to assess and advance community engagement efforts.