5Determining Your Purpose and Choosing 

Partners 

Once	you	have	identified	problem	areas	and	gaps	 Six Elements Associated with 

in	your	TB	program’s	services	and	set	priorities	 Partnership Formation 

(see	Chapter	4:	How Well Do You Know Your • Your partnership’s overall purpose 

Environment? ),	it	is	important	to	clarify	six	 • Types of partnerships you will use 

elements	associated	with	partnership	formation.	 • Level of support within your agency for 

partnering 

Your Partnership’s Overall Purpose • Resources you can dedicate to your

partnering efforts 

Your	partnership’s	overall	purpose	needs	to: • Characteristics of effective partners 

•	 Clarify	the	geographic	area	the	partnership	 • Recruitment of effective partners 

will	cover	 

•	 Clearly	identify	the	scope	of	work	your	partnership	will	undertake 

•	 Be	broad	enough	for	partners	to	jointly	determine	the	most	effective	ways	to	 

accomplish	the	purpose 

Some	partnerships’	overall	purposes	 Some Purposes Undertaken by TB have	addressed	a	variety	of	health	issues	 Partnerships around the Country encountered	by	high-risk	populations,	 • Develop and help to implement a while	others	have	addressed	TB-specific	 comprehensive statewide TB elimination plan 

issues.	Both	types	of	partnerships	have	 • Review and recommend revisions to state TB 

rules and regulations been	formed	at	the	local,	state,	regional,	 

• Analyze and address TB outbreaks occurring national,	and	international	levels. 

in homeless populations 

• Develop and implement programs and When	accomplished,	your	partnership’s	 services for high-risk populations born purpose	will	have	significant	impact	on	TB	 outside the United States 

prevention	and	control	efforts	in	your	area,	 • Create and implement a strategic plan for 

screening and appropriately treating at-risk allowing	you	and	your	partners	to	feel	that	 

incarcerated populations your	time	was	well	spent.	 

Types of Partnerships You Will Use 

Once	you	have	determined	your	partnership’s	 The TB Education and Training Network purpose,	you	are	ready	to	choose	the	type	of	 (TB ETN) is an example of a formal netpartnership	that	will	best	meet	your	needs.	 work whose members are TB professionMany	types	of	partnerships	have	been	successful	 als representing a variety of stakeholder 

organizations. Additional information in	strengthening	TB	prevention	and	control	 about TB ETN can be accessed at 

efforts.	The	partnership	models	most	commonly	 www.cdc.gov/tb/TBETN. 

Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit  

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
used	in	public	health	include	networks,	task	forces,	advisory	committees,	coalitions,	 

and	collaborations.	Partnerships	may	begin	as	one	type,	and	evolve	over	time	to	become	 

more	consistent	with	another	type	or	combination	of	types.	 

The	following	descriptions	are	provided	to	help	you	decide	which	partnership	type	or	 

combination	of	types	would	best	fit	your	circumstances.	They	are	presented	in	ascending	 

order	of	both	complexity	of	purpose	and	complexity	of	linkages	among	members.	 

TB Networks: 

Information-sharing 

partnerships 

TB Task Forces: 

Partnerships for 

short-term problem 

resolution 

TB Advisory 

committees: 

Joint planning 

and strategizing 

partnerships 

The primary purpose of a TB network is to promote the exchange of 

information and ideas. Network membership can be formal or informal. 

Networks do not usually demand significant time or effort from their 

members; instead, they assist members in carrying out their individual 

work. 

A TB task force is often used to coordinate an intense, short-term effort 

that requires input from many diverse groups. Partners agree to complete a 

specific and well-defined task within a specified period of time. 

Task forces are most often formed to resolve a specific problem or crisis. 

Examples include TB transmission in correctional facilities and high rates 

of drug resistance in specific populations. Problem resolution is often 

given in the form of recommendations or a report written jointly by task 

force members. Once the well-defined task has been completed, the task 

force may dissolve, or it may choose to become a more comprehensive 

partnership addressing broader concerns. 

The purpose of a TB advisory committee is to provide valuable input and 

constructive criticism that will improve TB service delivery and program 

outputs. Members usually have diverse areas of expertise and come from 

a variety of TB stakeholder groups. They use their combined knowledge 

and skills to review, plan, and evaluate a specific agency’s TB strategies, 

activities, and impact. 

 Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit 

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
TB Coalitions: 

Joint planning and 

coordinated action 

TB Collaborations: 

Joint planning for 

collaborative action 

The purpose of TB coalitions is to provide a forum where organizations 

addressing TB who might normally compete and duplicate efforts can work 

together cooperatively. Members undertake joint planning and coordinated 

action. Building a coalition requires sustained effort and the forging of longterm commitment among its members. 

Coalition goals often include raising awareness, implementing specific 

campaigns or projects, and improving services. Often, a TB coalition works 

on several activities at once through various subcommittees or task forces. 

The TB coalition serves as an umbrella organization to set agendas, solicit 

funding, handle marketing and publicity, and evaluate the progress of its 

subcommittees or task forces. 

Additional aspects that appear common to most coalitions include: 

•	 Communication channels are formally established with partners’ 

interactions occurring in structured settings such as meetings. 

•	 Authority and accountability for conducting coordinated actions usually 

falls on individual organizations. 

•	 Members pool their talents and resources. 

•	 Members develop and demonstrate widespread public support for their 

issues and actions. 

The purpose of TB collaborations is to bring together diverse stakeholder 

groups to address problems that no one member can resolve in isolation. 

Partners develop common goals and strategies, as well as a shared 

responsibility for creating the structures needed to implement them. It 

is a complex partnership consisting of well-defined, mutually beneficial 

relationships. Partners tend to have the full backing of their individual 

organizations. Resources are pooled or jointly secured for longer-term 

efforts. 

Collaborations are similar to coalitions, but with the following distinctions: 

•	 Coalitions tend to bring together organizations with pre-existing 

common goals. Collaborations bring together organizations to create 

common goals. 

•	 In coalitions, member organizations tend to maintain their pre-existing 

visions and approaches to their work. In collaborations, member 

organizations tend to align their visions and approaches with those 

developed by the collaboration. 

•	 In coalitions, interaction tends to take place in structured settings, such 

as coalition meetings. In collaborations, communication and interaction 

among partners also frequently occurs informally between meetings. 

Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit  

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
Level of Support for Partnering within Your Agency 

Whether	you	have	decided	to	join	an	existing	partnership	or	create	a	new	one,	it	is	essential	to	 

have	the	support	of	your	agency’s	key	decision	makers	for	your	partnership	efforts.	 

Tips and Strategies 

The	following	are	approaches	that	your	colleagues	have	used	to	obtain	ongoing	 

support	for	their	partnership	efforts: 

•	 Assess	your	agency’s	current	level	of	commitment	to	TB	partnerships.	Use	the	 

assessment	as	a	guide	for	creating	strategies	to	gain	the	support	of	your	agency’s	 

key	decisionmakers.	The	assessment	will	also	help	you	to	anticipate	and	address	 

issues	associated	with	how	the	partnership	will	interact	with	your	agency.	(See	 

Chapter	16:	Toolkit,	“Assessing Your Agency’s Commitment Worksheet.”) 

•	 Demonstrate	how	the	partnership	will	help	to	access	missing	resources	that	are	 

essential	to	TB	prevention	and	control	efforts	in	your	area. 

•	 Show	the	likely	cost,	in	terms	of	dollars,	political	fallout,	and	human	suffering	if	 

the	partnership	is	not	undertaken. 

•	 Provide	a	monetary	value	for	the	in-kind	expertise	and	services	that	will	be	
 

provided	through	the	partnership.
 

•	 Show	the	value	to	your	agency	of	intangibles,	such	as	trust	and	goodwill,	that	will	 

be	generated	by	the	partnership. 

Things to Keep in Mind 

It	is	easy	to	forget	how	important	it	is	to	sell	the	value	of	your	partnerships	to	your	 

own	agency.	You	may	find	it	helpful	to	enlist	the	support	of	a	trusted	colleague	 

agency	to	assist	you	with	this	effort.	 

Resources You Can Dedicate to Your Partnering Efforts 

Resources	are	limited.	Accurately	assessing	the	resources	you	can	dedicate	to	partnering	is	 

important.	Sharing	this	information	when	recruiting	new	partners	ensures	they	enter	the	 

partnership	with	an	accurate	understanding	of	your	capabilities.	This	understanding	will	 

minimize	partners’	unmet	expectations	and	future	frustrations.		 

Tips and Strategies 

Exploring	the	following	areas	may	help	you	identify	resources	that	could	be	dedicated	 

to	partnering:	 

•	 Consider	how	current	staff	responsibilities	might	be	adjusted	to	incorporate	 

partnering	activities. 

4 Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit 

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
•	 Consider	how	volunteers	and	interns	might	assist	with	your	partnering	efforts. 

Characteristics of Effective Partners 

A	partnership	is	as	good	as	the	people	who	participate	in	it.	Therefore,	recruiting	is	one	of	 

the	single	most	important	partnership	activities	you	will	undertake.	Good	partners	are	the	 

foundation	upon	which	your	partnership’s	future	accomplishments	are	built.	 

What Is a Good Partner? 

A	good	partner	is	someone	who	will	work	cooperatively,	effectively,	and	efficiently	with	 

you	and	other	partners.	Characteristics	associated	with	good	partners	include: 

•	 They	see	themselves	as	TB	stakeholders	and	understand	that	eliminating	TB	is	a	 

group	effort.	As	such,	they	want	to	find	and	implement	solutions,	rather	than	see	 

you	as	solely	responsible	for	improving	things.	They	are	team	players	who	want	 

the	partnership	to	succeed. 

•	 They	are	committed	to	developing	culturally	appropriate	prevention	and	control	 

programs.	They	recognize	the	importance	of	diverse	perspectives	and	strive	 

to	understand	others’	perceptions.	They	work	respectfully	with	all	partners,	 

especially	when	addressing	differences.	 

•	 They	see	the	big	picture.	They	tend	to	be	both	optimistic	and	pragmatic,	 

believing	that	progress	can	be	made	even	in	the	toughest	of	times.	They	arrive	 

at	conclusions	and	make	decisions	by	analyzing	data	and	gathering	facts.	They	 

respond	to	rational	arguments	and	do	not	etch	their	points	of	view	in	stone.	They	 

are	willing	to	learn	and	grow	as	they	go,	and	they	tend	to	be	patient	when	people	 

make	mistakes. 

•	 They	tend	to	enjoy	working	for	the	greater	good.	They	find	making	a	positive	 

contribution	intrinsically	satisfying.	They	value	productivity	and	efficiency	more	 

than	they	value	personal	recognition	and	rewards.	 

You	may	be	asking	yourself,	“Do	such	people	really	exist?”	The	answer	is	“Yes,”	and	 

they	are	involved	in	TB	partnerships	around	the	nation.	The	secret	to	finding	good	 

partners	is	investing	sufficient	time	in	your	recruiting	process.	This	usually	requires	 

a	brief	individual	meeting	with	potential	partners	to	pitch	the	partnership	and	 

explore	their	interests	and	concerns.	This	meeting	will	let	you	and	your	potential	 

partner	know	whether	your	partnership	is	likely	to	be	a	good	fit	for	them.	(See	 

Mutual Selection Process	in Chapter	3:	What Successful Health-Related Community 

Partnerships Have in Common.) 

Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit  

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and 

Things to Keep in Mind 

Most	partnerships	include	a	few	individuals	who	may	not	score	very	high	on	the	 

characteristics	associated	with	good	partners.	With	dedicated	leadership,	you	can	 

develop	operating	norms	and	structure	protocols	that	encourage	all	partners	to	work	 

well	together.	(See	Operating Norms and Decisionmaking Protocols	in Chapter	 

3: What Successful Health-Related Community Partnerships Have in Common,	as	well	 

as	Chapter	6:	Creating a Sense of Ownership, and Chapter	7:	Making Progress and 

Making Decisions: Structure and Decisionmaking Issues.) 

Recruitment of Effective Partners 

When	forming	your	partnership,	it	is	often	helpful	to	start	by	recruiting	one	or	more	 

partners	who	can	help	you	to	recruit	others.	It	is	essential	that	those	doing	your	 

recruiting	score	high	on	the	characteristics	associated	with	a	good	partner.	Using	 

the	information	provided	in	Chapter	3:	What Successful Health-Related Community 

Partnerships Have in Common,	as	well	as	your	epidemiological	profile	and	TB	stakeholder	 

information	(see	Chapter	4:	How Well Do you Know Your Environment?)	may	assist	you	 

in	this	process.	Your	initial	partners	can	work	with	you	to	 

• Identify the skills and abilities that your partnership needs to succeed 

The	Partnership Skills and Abilities Inventory	checklist,	included	in	the	Toolkit,	can	 

help	you	to	recruit	effective	partners. 

The left 

column of the 

worksheet 

lists 

several TB 

stakeholder 

groups from 

which you 

can recruit 

partners. (You 

may wish to 

add other 

stakeholder 

groups.) 

Toolkit 

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 

The top row of the worksheet lists several skills and 

abilities that your partnership may need its partners to 

possess if it is to accomplish its goals. (You may wish 

to add other skills and abilities.) 

Place a 

checkmark in 

the boxes to 

indicate which 

skills and 

abilities the 

partnership 

needs 

from each 

stakeholder 

group. 


 
General	definitions	for	some	of	the	skills	and	abilities	listed	across	the	top	of	the	 

worksheet	(e.g.,	cultural	competency,	social	marketing,	and	leadership	skills)	are	 

included	in	the	glossary.	However,	the	specific	knowledge	and	skills	associated	 

with	each	category	on	the	checklist	are	determined	by	your	partnership’s	purpose	 

and	goals.	For	example,	a	partnership	focusing	exclusively	on	TB	in	children	 

may	require	TB	medical	expertise	that	differs	from	that	of	a	partnership	focusing	 

on	adults.	Thus,	it	may	be	helpful	for	you	to	discuss	and	document	your	own	 

detailed	definitions	for	some	of	the	skills	and	abilities	categories. 

Reviewing	the	completed	Partnership Skills and Abilities Inventory checklist	with	 

initial	partners	will	provide	you	with	a	fairly	complete	picture	of	their	skills	and	 

abilities.	More	importantly,	it	will	help	you	identify	the	missing	skills	and	abilities	 

your	partnership	needs	to	succeed.	 

•	 Identify potential partners with these skills and abilities 

Use	the	Partnership Skills and Abilities Inventory	checklist	to	begin	identifying	people	 

you	know	who	fit	the	descriptions.	When	you	draw	a	blank,	identify	people	who	can	 

make	recommendations.	Looking	at	the	list	of	TB	stakeholder	groups	you	developed	 

in	Chapter	4:	How Well Do You Know Your Environment?	may	help.	 

•	 Recruit the best partners 

Whenever	possible,	it	is	helpful	to	have	a	face-to-face	meeting	to	recruit	potential	 

partners.	Be	prepared	to	answer	questions.	Common	questions	include	how	much	of	 

their	time	is	required	and	for	how	long.	 

When	meeting	with	leaders	of	high-risk	populations,	the	following	approach	may	be	 

helpful: 

•	 Talk	with	the	leader	to	get	a	better	understanding	of	the	population	and	its	 

primary	health	care	concerns.	 

•	 Explain	how	TB	is	impacting	the	population,	including	the	problems	families	 

may	encounter	if	active	TB	disease	is	not	quickly	identified	and	treated.	 

•	 Understand	the	leader’s	perspective	on	the	main	barriers	to	addressing	TB	in	the	 

population.	 

•	 Discuss	whether	the	leader	would	be	willing	to	work	with	you	to	address	these	 

barriers,	including	working	with	the	partnership. 

•	 Explain	why	the	leader’s	participation	is	important.	 

Things to Keep in Mind 

•	 Be	sure	your	recruiting	efforts	are	consistent	with	the	culture	of	those	you	are	 

trying	to	reach.	In	communities	where	communication	is	more	formal,	consider	 

Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit  

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
sending	a	letter	to	potential	partners	before	calling	to	ask	for	a	meeting	(see	 

Toolkit,	Sample Letter to an At-Risk Community Leader). 

•	 Essential	partners,	such	as	respected	leaders	of	high-risk	populations,	may	not	be	 

able	to	meet	during	your	normal	business	hours.	If	you	want	them	to	participate,	 

be	flexible	about	when	partnership	meetings	are	held.	 

•	 Recruiting	is	an	ongoing	 Perspectives from a rural public health nurse who process,	not	a	one-time	 launched a tri-county TB partnership: occurrence.	Always	be	 “My advice is just pick a date and invite the people you on	the	lookout	for	good	 think need to be there. Distance is a big deal to us, so we 

partners.	 chose something equidistant. Schedules were too hard to 

coordinate for the first meeting so we made it a 7:00am •	 Do	not	be	too	formal	 breakfast and promised not to go over two hours. 

about	partners’	terms.	 “I didn’t spend a lot of time agonizing about it. We 

Do	you	really	want	a	 didn’t have an agenda. I just called people and basically

said three things: We have some of the same clients, I am valuable	member	to	 concerned about TB, and I would like to hear what you 

rotate	off	after	a	year	if	 think about it. 

he	or	she	is	willing	to	 “I was amazed by how many people came. We had 

physicians, nurses, community groups, and a person that I stay	and	contribute?	 thought might volunteer. Some of us didn’t know each other 

very well so we spent some time on that. Then, we talked •	 Some	partners	will	be	 and decided we really needed to start with some physician formally	representing	 education. 

organizations	that	may	 “We didn’t make it too difficult; we all did a little and the 

wish	to	decide	the	 volunteer really helped. We knew our communities so we 

knew what would work. length	of	terms	their	 “Then we decided to work with the high-risk, which is representatives	should	 pretty much one group in our area. We have been doing 

serve. that for about two years and just got a grant for targeted 

testing. Occasionally we hit some snags, but we get

•	 People	can	support	the	 through them.” 


partnership	without	
 

being	members.	Seek	creative	ways	to	involve	people.	
 

If	potential	partners	continually	tell	you	what	you	need	to	do	about	TB	rather	than	 

exploring	what	you	might	do	together,	they	probably	are	not	a	good	fit	with	your	 

partnership	at	this	time. 

Related Resources 

•	 CDC.	CDC’s Response to Ending Neglect: The Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United 

States.	Atlanta,	GA:	US	Department	of	Health	and	Human	Services,	CDC;	2002.	 

www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/iom/iomresponse/ 

	 This	61-page	document	presents	a	TB	elimination	plan	organized	around	six	goals	 

that	frame	TB	elimination	efforts	in	the	context	of	recommendations	made	by	the	 

Institute	of	Medicine. 

8 Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit 

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners 
 

•	 The Centers for Disease Control National Prevention Information Network Website 

www.cdcnpin.org 

This	website	can	help	you	locate	possible	TB	stakeholders	groups	in	your	area.	Visit	 

the	website	and	select	“Search	for:	Organizations.”	You	will	find	descriptions	of	 

more	than	19,000	national,	state,	and	local	organizations	that	provide	resources	and	 

services	related	to	HIV/AIDS,	STDs,	and	TB.	For	additional	TB	tools	and	resources,	 

visit	the	CDCNPIN	Website	and	select	“Tuberculosis.” 

•	 CDC. Progressing	toward	tuberculosis	elimination	in	low-incidence	areas	of	the	 

United	States: recommendations	of	the	Advisory	Council	for	the	Elimination	of	 

Tuberculosis.	MMWR	2002;	51	(No.	RR-5).		 

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5105a1.htm 

•	 CDC.	Recommendations	for	prevention	and	control	of	tuberculosis	among	foreignborn	persons:	report	of	the	Working	Group	on	Tuberculosis	Among	Foreign-Born	 

Persons.	MMWR	1998;	47	(No.	RR-16).		 

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00054855.htm 

•	 CDC.	Division	of	Tuberculosis	Elimination.	TB Elimination, Now Is the Time.		 

Atlanta,	GA. 

	 This	CDC	pamphlet	can	serve	as	a	call	to	action	with	partners.	It	provides	 

background	information	on	TB	that	laypeople	can	understand.	The	most	current	 

version	of	this	pamphlet	is	available	at	www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/nowisthetime/. 

Forging Partnerships to Eliminate Tuberculosis: A Guide and Toolkit  

Chapter : Determining Your Purpose and Choosing Partners