141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

291358
Power of partnership: A mixed-method community exploration of interorganizational partnerships in a Nairobi informal settlement

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM

Rachel Berkowitz, MPH , Independent researcher, Albany, CA
April M. Young, MPH , Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
Mimi Kiser, RN, MPH, DMin , Rollins School of Public Health, Interfaith Health Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Hannah LF Cooper, ScD, SM , Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Lucy Kanyiya Manthi , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Anthony Mkutu , St. Paul's University -- Limuru, Limuru, Kenya
Peninnah Munyiva Musyoka , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Vincent Mutuku Mutiso , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Michael Simiyu Mwanga , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Duncan Muthuma Nguru , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Anthony Mutuku Nthenge , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Moses Wahor Okoth , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
Michael Kinyanjui Ragae , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Mukuru on the Move, Nairobi, Kenya
John Blevins, ThD , Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Background: The impact of organizational assets in an informal settlement is likely strengthened through partnership, a dimension of community capacity. Building on a 2008 geospatial asset-mapping endeavor, this project brought together graduate students and a team of 7 young-adult community leaders in Mukuru (a Nairobi settlement) to understand the nature and significance of organizational partnerships in an informal settlement using community-driven methods. Methods: An interorganizational relationship survey was developed in collaboration with the team and administered to Mukuru organization leaders (n=56) recruited through respondent-driven sampling. The survey explored the organizations' relationships with self-identified partners and was used to generate images of the partnership network. Two participatory-learning-activity (PLA) workshops (n=30/workshop) were developed to further engage community members in dialogues around the meaning and impact of partnerships. Collaborative analysis and interpretation of network images and workshop activities followed the team's training in network and thematic analysis. Results: Community engagement through the team's execution of the project and the workshops' emphasize strengthening community capacity. Preliminary findings reveal an interconnected network of partnerships that strengthen the reach and scope of services in Mukuru while addressing challenges like corruption and competition. Prioritizing the Team's capacity for implementing the project allowed for an iterative, collaborative research process. Conclusions: In an informal settlement, organizations likely work in partnership, demonstrating the need to explore and build upon existing networks of assets when engaging with communities. Diverse methods to strengthen community research capacity and delve into community perspectives ensure a community-relevant and community-owned understanding of the power of partnerships.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Assess the use of interorganizational network analysis for identifying and understanding assets in an informal settlement Discuss the merits and challenges of participatory workshops to build upon survey-based network data in order to infuse network images with community context and meaning and develop a deeper understanding of community perspectives on the idea of partnership. Identify the strengths and challenges of an asset-based, community-driven research project in an informal settlement

Keywords: Community Capacity, Partnerships

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was one of the coordinators in designing and implementing the survey and workshops. I worked closely with fellow coordinators and collaborators to support the network analysis, and I took the lead role in thematic analysis of the workshop information.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.