Mapping One Strong ‘Ohana: Using Network Analysis and GIS to Enhance the Effectiveness of a Statewide Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

Network analysis and GIS enable the presentation of meaningful data about organizational relationships and community characteristics, respectively. Together, these tools can provide a concrete representation of the ecological context in which coalitions operate, and may help coalitions identify opportunities for growth and enhanced effectiveness. This study uses network analysis and GIS mapping as part of an evaluation of the One Strong 'Ohana (OSO) campaign. The OSO campaign was launched in 2012 via a partnership between the Hawai'i Children's Trust Fund (HCTF) and the Joyful Heart Foundation. The OSO campaign uses a collaborative approach aimed at increasing public awareness of child maltreatment and protective factors that can prevent maltreatment, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of the HCTF Coalition. This study focuses on three elements of the OSO campaign evaluation: (1) Network analysis exploring the relationships between 24 active Coalition member organizations, (2) GIS mapping of responses to a randomized statewide phone survey (n = 1,450) assessing awareness of factors contributing to child maltreatment, and (3) Combined GIS maps and network data, illustrating opportunities for geographically-targeted coalition building and public awareness activities.

Reframing Coalitions as Systems Interventions: A Network Study Exploring the Contribution of a Youth Violence Prevention Coalition to Broader System Capacity

“…This research contributes to the community coalition literature through its conceptualization of community coalitions as interventions and events in local intervention systems (Hawe et al 2009). When viewed from this perspective, community coalitions are not only conceived as organizational structures formed for the purpose of meeting short term goals, but also as having the potential to contribute to greater systems capacity through building stronger social and inter-organizational networks (Allen et al 2013;Butterfoss and Kegler 2009;Cardazone et al 2014;Goodman et al 1998;Harper et al 2014Shapiro et al 2015. As this study demonstrates, community coalitions can benefit the broader intervention system by fostering collaboration and systems coordination, but if their members become too dominant and their power too concentrated, their activity risks inadvertently undermining the capacity of the broader network.…”

“…Evans et al 2014;Shapiro et al 2015). Thus, past research has examined patterns of collaboration among coalition members to understand system characteristics and dynamics (e.g., Cardazone et al 2014). The current investigation shifts the focus from the coalition as the object of study to the larger intervention system that the coalition influences.…”

“…Coalition activities strengthen networks by encouraging participation, fostering sense of community and cohesion, and facilitating the exchange of resources and skills of members (Nowell and Boyd 2014;Goodman et al 1998). Because coalition activities provide opportunities for collaboration among members, they contribute to strong social and organizational networks (Evans et al 2014;Cardazone et al 2014, Foster-Fishman et al 2001Wandersman et al 2005).…”

Lamp Lighters and Sidewalk Smoothers: How Individual Residents Contribute to the Maintenance of the Urban Commons

“…As such, the equivalent of “typical custodians” might be more sensitive to social variables than we saw in the current analysis. Last, this all further raises the question of collective action, and how multiple individuals coordinate their efforts to address either a single instance of individuals violating a norm or a more systemic pattern of social disorder (e.g., Cardazone, Sy, Chik & Corlew, ; Carr, ).…”

Using social network analysis to assess communications and develop networking tools among climate change professionals across the Pacific Islands region

“…In addition to conducting a baseline assessment of the current level of network connectedness across the region, a primary purpose of this study was to create free tools for use by climate change professionals in the region to facilitate future collaborations. This would require locating both professional and spatial connections in the region (Adams, Faust, & Lovasi, 2012;Daraganova et al, 2012;Doreian & Conti, 2012;Hipp, Faris, & Boessen, 2012;Cardazone, Sy, Chik, & Corlew, 2014). Network maps for the full region, core region, and each sub-region were created using Gephi software, an open-source network analysis and visualization software (Bastian, Heymann, & Jacomy, 2009).…”