The Impact of Relationships and Coalitions Course

Module 1: Analyze the Importance of External Stakeholders to the Organization

• Define external stakeholders and classify levels of involvement (active, affected, interested, influential) and why engagement matters (pp. 6–7).
• Map, prioritize, and plan engagement/communications (methods, frequency, roles) using the Power–Interest Grid (p. 12) and stakeholder tables (pp. 9–10, 13–16).
• Analyze stakeholder needs with targeted interview/survey questions for other agencies, end users, and contractors; align to core requirements (pp. 11–12).
• Strengthen communication skills—active listening, clarity/conciseness, feedback, and channel selection—to keep stakeholders informed and satisfied (pp. 12–14).

Module 2: Develop Interagency Working Relationships and Partnerships

• Explain why work gets done “through and with others”; use guiding questions for interagency projects (plan, customers, milestones, shared resources) (pp. 17–18).
• Differentiate informal partnerships, public-private partnerships (P3), and people-public-private (P4); weigh benefits and risks, and leading collaboration practices (pp. 18–20).
• Establish work agreements and MOUs—purpose/scope, roles, duration, confidentiality, risks, and signatures—with legal/ethical considerations (pp. 21–23).
• Nurture relationships and review for success: watch for warning signs (e.g., duplication, unclear accountability) and use metrics/alliance management to improve (pp. 24–26).

Module 3: The Impact of Communicating with the Public and Customers

• Apply fundamentals of effective, ethical, and culturally sensitive communication; match styles and channels (in-person, virtual, web, phone, text, email) to audience needs (pp. 28–31, 38–43).
• Build a strategic communications plan—purpose, audience, channel, timing, and ownership—and a service strategy with clear standards and feedback loops (pp. 31–32).
• Analyze citizen experience end-to-end; ask the right questions, focus on what can be done, and address gaps between promises and delivery (pp. 32–35).
• Evaluate effectiveness with KPIs and methods such as focus groups, discussion forums, control groups, tiger teams, and web/social analytics (pp. 37–40).