Supporting collaboration to create healthier communities

Health in All Policies is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. While all Health in All Policies initiatives are based on the concept that population health and equity depend upon collaborative, intersectoral action, there is substantial variation in process, structure, scope, and participation in the initiatives. Regardless of the direction a Health in All Policies initiative takes, bringing together a new group of agencies and partners can be challenging and requires intentionality and planning.

The presentation will start with an overview of the importance of collaboration for Health in All Policies approaches and include a short discussion about identifying non-traditional partners for collaborative work. The presentation will then describe root cause mapping as a tool and activity that can be used to develop a common understanding of the problems partners face, identify how each partner’s work connects to public health issues, and establish shared goals. Root cause mapping is a structured process for identifying key upstream factors contributing to community health problems, which can help users identify methods for intervening in these underlying factors and promoting improved outcomes. After a short overview, in small facilitated groups, participants will have the opportunity to create a root cause map, identify possible partners and actions, and learn how root cause mapping can be used in a range of situations and with a variety stakeholders.