Using CBPR as an intervention to enhance levels of social capital within a community-based coalition

The Value Template Process (VTP) is a community-based participatory process,which engages coalition partners in identifying the values of coalition participation. This research compares the findings of implementing the VTP in two underserved urban coalitions with documented differences. The Value Template Process uses focus groups to obtain information about benefits of coalition participation at three levels- individual, organizational, and community. Common values and themes are then shared across coalition partner constituencies. Sharing this knowledge among coalition partners enhances their ability to learn about diverse partner needs and to discover evaluation indicators that are meaningful to member participation. These indicators further define how coalitions measure success and include constructs of social capital. This research also measured social capital pre and post implementation of the VTP. Significant changes in social capital related to member transactions (reciprocity) were found and measures of trust and networking increased but not significantly. The VTP appears not only to define evaluation measures for coalitions, but also to serve as an intervention, prompting one coalition to begin a strategic planning process. These evaluation measures help to identify common goals that may encourage the long-term participation necessary to address complex health issues. The VTP also seems to be an intervention that can assist coalitions in developing aspects of social capital that may influence long-term sustainability. The policy implication suggests that an intervention, like the Value Template Process, may enhance social capital and influence sustainability needed for coalitions to achieve desired health outcomes.