A Social Network Analysis of Partners of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Oral Health Unit

Project Description

The Oral Health Unit at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment conducted an assessment of its partnerships from January to April 2011. This assessment (1) provides a baseline measure of the unit’s network of partners and (2) informs strategic partner planning. The goal is to improve the Oral Health Unit’s network of partners, thereby improving oral health in Colorado.

To conduct the assessment of the system, the unit requested the Epidemiology, Planning, and Evaluation Branch at CDPHE to conduct a Social Network Analysis. They used a web-based tool called PARTNER1 to gain views from all the perspectives of the various partners to quantify and analyze the collaborations that they are involved in.

Through SNA, we are able to analyze and interpret the social network by measuring the following core dimensions of connectivity2; membership (each organization, type of organization), the role of CDPHE (facilitator versus equal member), reciprocity (exchanging of resources), frequency of interaction (relative to the purpose of the partnership), network interaction (the overall density of the network, overall levels of trust among partners), organization’s value to the collaborative (power, level of involvement, and resource contribution), and levels of trust among organizations (reliability, shared belief in the mission, willingness to engage in frank discussions). The Oral Health Unit’s Work Plan contains two objectives regarding partnerships. The first is to collaborate with internal and external partners, state and local organizations and agencies. The second is to integrate oral health efforts with other programs that address related chronic diseases and risk factors. Forty-nine partners were asked to participate in the SNA. Representing public and private sectors, participants included rural and local public health departments, funders, third party payers, interagency providers, and (non-profit) professional associations. Utilizing SNA, the assessment went beyond simply providing evidence of collaboration but also helped to make the link between the discoveries of information about the system’s relationships and action to improve partnerships, which includes making decisions about what needs to change, be improved, or implementing other activities needed to achieve the goals of the Oral Health Unit.

Products Using PARTNER Data

Outcomes

Network Map: Relationships Between Partners

Testimonial

Mario Rivera

Mario Rivera

“The PARTNER website made an otherwise daunting task very doable. I needed to use Social Network Analysis (SNA) to evaluate a local public health agency’s access to health care coalition. I am not an expert at SNA but was able to complete a successful evaluation thanks to the PARTNER tool. What made using it exceptional for me was that not only did I find the questions, measures, and dimensions included in the PARTNER tool to be applicable ‘as is’ but in addition, I was able to customize certain questions to make it even more relevant. Using the PARTNER tool saved me from attempting to develop a SNA from scratch and likely miss important parts of the evaluation. I plan on using the PARTNER tool anytime I conduct a SNA and highly recommend it!”

Mario Rivera MS, Program Evaluator
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 
Denver, CO