Key Frameworks

This study draws on four complementary frameworks to explore how community, collaborative governance, and power shape outcomes. It helps explain not just what partnerships do, but how and why they work.

1 Socioecological Systems Framework (SESF)

The SESF helps make sense of how people, organizations, and resources work together within larger systems. In this study, it is used to understand what helps partnerships succeed and to identify the rules and local conditions for better outcomes.

2 Cross-sector Alignment Theory of Change

This theory is a guide for helping health care, public health, and social services work together toward common goals. In this study, it is used to evaluate partnerships and explore how place-based design can strengthen local assets and improve population health outcomes.

3 Collective Impact Framework (CI)

The CI framework helps bring organizations and communities work together using shared data, engagement, and communication to align priorities and coordinate efforts. In this study, it is used to examine how partners make decisions, share responsibilities, and build trust to strengthen collaboration.

4 Vital Conditions Framework

The Vital Conditions Framework identifies the foundational community factors that shape people’s ability to live healthy, connected, and fulfilling lives. In this study, it is used to organize and analyze county-level data to identify the structural conditions that strengthen cross-sector governance and promote community well-being.