3.8.1  Improve Readiness to Sustain Efforts, continued

Provide options about roles. Ensure that individuals have options about roles in which their skills are appropriate. These roles include positions of leadership with decision-making powers, participation on planning teams that influence decisions about prevention approaches, serving on advisory boards to provide opinions about approaches and community needs, and serving as staff or volunteers to implement programs.

Emphasize benefits of participation. Emphasize such benefits as increased networking and friendships, sharing information and access to resources, improving the community, enjoying prevention and coalition activities, personal recognition for talents and efforts, and increased personal skills and knowledge. Provide such benefits as social events, training sessions, and recognition.

Be professional. Convene and adjourn meetings promptly and on schedule. Prepare and provide copies of meeting agendas and background materials before meetings. Provide reminder phone calls and postcards that encourage and remind participants that their participation is valuable. Ask inactive members if they would like to work on other tasks that better suit their skills and interests. Handle departures with formality and grace, and publicly thank them for their efforts. Conduct exit interviews to elicit feedback about opportunities for improvement.

Reduce barriers to participation. Conduct simple surveys to determine barriers to participation. Provide meetings during times and in locations that are convenient to volunteers, not for program management. Provide transportation or organize carpools. Ensure safety and comfort, and consider providing resources for child care. Provide meals if meetings are convened during meal periods, and seek in-kind donations from local restaurants to defray costs.

Please review how the case study has worked through Step Three.