How can you sustain and scale up successful coalition efforts?

1 Assess your coalition's goals and needs

The first step to sustaining and scaling up your coalition is to assess your coalition's goals and needs on a regular basis. This means reviewing your vision, mission, values, objectives, and strategies, and evaluating how well they align with the current situation, the needs of your members, and the expectations of your stakeholders. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, logic models, or outcome mapping to help you with this process. By assessing your coalition's goals and needs, you can identify what is working well, what needs improvement, and what new opportunities or challenges you need to address.

2 Communicate effectively and transparently

The second step to sustaining and scaling up your coalition is to communicate effectively and transparently with your members, allies, and supporters. Communication is essential for building trust, fostering collaboration, and ensuring accountability within your coalition. You should communicate regularly and clearly about your coalition's goals, activities, achievements, challenges, and learnings. You should also solicit feedback, input, and suggestions from your members and stakeholders, and acknowledge their contributions and concerns. You can use various channels and methods to communicate with your coalition, such as newsletters, emails, social media, webinars, meetings, or events.

3 Nurture your relationships and networks

The third step to sustaining and scaling up your coalition is to nurture your relationships and networks with your members, allies, and supporters. Relationships are the foundation of any coalition, and they require constant care and attention. You should invest time and effort to build rapport, respect, and mutual understanding with your coalition partners. You should also recognize and celebrate their achievements, strengths, and diversity. You should also expand your network by reaching out to new or potential partners who share your vision and values, and who can bring new perspectives, skills, or resources to your coalition.

4 Adapt and innovate

The fourth step to sustaining and scaling up your coalition is to adapt and innovate in response to the changing environment, needs, and opportunities. A coalition that is flexible and creative can overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve greater impact. You should monitor and evaluate your coalition's progress and impact, and use the data and evidence to inform your decision-making and planning. You should also encourage your coalition members to experiment with new ideas, approaches, or tools, and to learn from their successes and failures. You should also embrace change and diversity as sources of strength and inspiration for your coalition.

5 Share your learning and impact

The fifth step to sustaining and scaling up your coalition is to share your learning and impact with your members, allies, supporters, and the wider public. Sharing your learning and impact can help you demonstrate your value, credibility, and relevance as a coalition. It can also help you attract more attention, support, and resources for your cause. You should document and disseminate your coalition's stories, lessons, achievements, and challenges, using various formats and platforms, such as reports, blogs, podcasts, videos, or infographics. You should also engage with your audience, and invite them to join, support, or collaborate with your coalition.

6 Invest in your capacity and sustainability

The sixth and final step to sustaining and scaling up your coalition is to invest in your capacity and sustainability as a coalition. Capacity and sustainability are not only about financial resources, but also about human, social, and organizational resources. You should ensure that your coalition has adequate and diverse sources of funding, and that you manage your budget and expenses wisely and transparently. You should also ensure that your coalition has skilled and motivated staff and volunteers, and that you provide them with training, mentoring, and recognition. You should also ensure that your coalition has clear and effective governance, management, and operational systems and policies, and that you comply with the relevant laws and regulations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?