Participatory Decision-Making Among Community Coalitions

ABSTRACT

This article examines the decision-making processes in five federally-funded community coalitions through an analysis of recorded minutes at 188 meetings. Specific characteristics examined include the proportion of agenda issues in which the role of staff, officer, or community participant initiated discussion topics and carried out tasks; the degree to which decisions were reached and action tasks delegated; and the substantive focus of the discussions. The study found that many of the basic components of organizational functioning were inconsistently applied, particularly in the areas of task identification and delegation. Less than half of the topics introduced for discussion in all the meetings studied resulted in a decision, and of these decisions, related tasks were specified less than half the time. In two-thirds of the instances when tasks were identified for specific agenda issues, no one was identified for involvement in their implementation.

Key Words:

• Participatory decision-making
• community coalitions
• community organization