· A number of assessment tools are available to help you. The Vic Health Partnership analysis and checklist will help you determine your readiness to work together and provide you with a score.
· A modified version of the Partnership Checklist, relevant to Metro North HHS / community partnering healthcare context and to help you plan your partnership, addressing any barriers is available here
· Each partner should go through the checklist and then come together to arrive at a score and then collectively identify areas that you will need to work through and plan for.
· The Collective Impact assessment tools and resources provide greater in-depth analysis and discussion of partnering which may be helpful for longer-term and sustained collaborative work.
· Effective collaboration can take more time, initially, but once well-established provide a range of efficiencies and benefits for the health system and the community.
· Three pre-conditions for collective impact are: resources, champions and urgency for change.
· Specific areas that may require some time and focus are often:
o Data sharing /IP
o Research ethics/ evaluation
o HR – establishing positions and recruiting
o Project management
o Funding
Metro North has adopted the Collective Impact framework to guide partnership project planning, outlining the qualities of genuine and sustainable partnership as well as the more practical ‘how to’ such as defining your shared agenda, roles and responsibilities and tips for overcoming some potential blockages such as data sharing.
In particular, a “backbone organisation” for your collaboration should be identified and agreed upon. It is important that this organisation drives and coordinates action but still works within a collective, transparent, shared decision-making process and as an equal collaborator, with the trust of all partners.
Evaluation and Research
Metro North Consumer and Community Engagement can support with
· Online consumer and partner experience and integration survey tools
· Support with design of consumer-centred evaluation and consultation methodologies
· Partnership facilitation
· Recruitment and support of consumer advisors in the design, conceptualisation, implementation and evaluation of your LINK or SEED proposal, and ongoing project governance.
Consumer Engagement Policy and Procedures
Metro North has a consumer engagement policy that outlines procedures for the recruitment, support and payment of consumers who are involved as formal advisors. For support and advice contact .
Metro North research ethics and governance can support with determining the ethics requirements of your project, and determine whether your project is a local quality assurance or improvement initiative or falls into the category of human research.
Make contact with research ethics early to determine your evaluation measures and methodologies.
There are a range of models and resources that can help your thinking in involving consumers, their experiences and insights, there are a range of resources available.
• HealthtalkAustralia for a bank of audio and videos of patient experiences
• Consumer Journey Mapping Tools: to look at consumer navigation and integration of services
• Consumers as co-designers:
• King’s Fund “Experience Based Co-Design” Tool kit
• Point of Care Patients as Partners in Co-Design
• Weitamata District Health Board Health Co-Design Toolkit