Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe factors that contributed to the sustainability of community health collaboratives across inland Southern California between 2010 and 2020.Conceptual Framework. The conceptual framework for this study is Schell et al.’s (2013) conceptual sustainability framework, which was originally developed for use in public health programs. This study attempted to validate the framework using community health collaboratives as the population of interest. This framework is appropriate because the model defines sustainability as the processes and structures that enable programs to utilize resources in implementing evidence-based policies and practices (Schell et al., 2013).
Methodology. This study used a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design to describe the sustainability factors in community collaboratives for health improvement. This study utilized a participatory approach to data collection and analysis that was both quantitative and qualitative. Using the concept-mapping process outlined by Kane and Trochim (2007), data were collected and analyzed via the concept-mapping software groupwisdom.
Findings and Conclusion. The analysis identified six themes regarding factors that affect sustainability: collective impact and collaboration, access to capital, government affairs, diversification, development and support of leaders, and technology-driven sustainability.
Recommendations. Using concept mapping with community groups to understand sustainability can be advantageous in several ways. First, it encourages collaboration and participation among community members, fostering trust and shared ownership of sustainability issues. Future studies could build on this research because this type of engagement could be community driven, web based, or in person. Additionally, it enables the identification of key sustainability concepts and their relationships, which can help clarify a community’s understanding of sustainability and uncover areas of consensus and disagreement. Additionally, it may support groups in large geographical areas by identifying differing needs based on resource availability. Concept mapping can also assist in prioritizing sustainability actions by focusing resources on the most pressing issues. Furthermore, it can facilitate communication among stakeholders and support the evaluation and monitoring of sustainability initiatives over time. Overall, concept mapping is a useful tool for community groups to comprehend and address sustainability concerns.