The model of boosting the cross-sectoral cooperation for health and wellbeing in cities

Abstract

In health promotion practice, resources often are limited, and problems are complex. Cross-sectoral cooperation is a collaborative effort in which partners from different sectors pool their resources to provide joint solutions for better health promotion; however, the general framework on how to proceed the cooperation is often missing. The Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “Urban Labs for Better Health for All in the Baltic Sea Region” (Healthy Boost) aims to boost the cross-sectoral cooperation for health and wellbeing in cities and associated partners from nine countries in the Baltic Sea Region by developing and testing the Model for the cross-sectoral cooperation.The Model was developed searching the published scientific literature and considering the results of a self-assessment of cross-sectoral cooperation for health promotion in the Healthy Boost partner cities. Discussions on the Model draft were organized by using face-to-face meetings and e-tools in order to develop the Model for piloting.Theoretical frameworks of cross-sectoral collaboration, including organization theory, public administration theory, leadership and strategic management theory, were used to select the major components for the Model. The partners' self-assessment results identified the gaps in several strategic and operational domains of cooperation, such as (1) leadership, (2) communication, (3) coordination, (4) motivation, and (5) risk identification. In the first Model draft, the starting point for cross-sectoral cooperation was the stages (mapping, planning, implementation, assessment) of cooperation; however, municipalities preferred to focus on domains which were developed under the stages of cooperation process in the final Model. Both evidence-based knowledge and participation of municipalities are crucial when developing the Model cross-sectoral cooperation. The Model should guide all partners for better cooperation by using a systematic approach.