Community Coalitions, Adaptation, and Goal Achievement in Times of Crises

Abstract

As communities face unprecedented challenges, from crises such as gun violence, lack of affordable housing, economic disruptions, and climate change, purpose-oriented community coalitions formed around shared goals or missions have become crucial in developing a common understanding and awareness of specific challenges, identifying solutions, and fostering collective action. Increasingly, community coalitions are established to address persistent and emerging societal challenges, but the understanding of how these coalitions achieve their goals, especially during crises, remains limited. This study explores the roles and dynamics of a purpose-oriented community coalition operating amid rapid change and crisis, its achievement of defined goals and objectives, and the barriers to achieving them. Rooted in Community Coalition Action Theory (CCAT), scholarship on purpose-oriented networks, and organizational adaptation in times of crisis, the study examines how actor roles, coalition activities, and governance structures adapt to maintain goal attainment. The study uses an in-depth single case design to examine how one community coalition, The Roanoke Valley Collective Response to the Opioid and Addiction Crisis, adapts to mobilize resources and maintain stakeholder engagement, activities, and governance cohesion amid extreme external disruption. Using qualitative study methods of document review and semi-structured interviews, this study identifies key factors that contribute to the effectiveness of purpose-oriented community coalitions operating in unstable environments and during crises. The findings are examined along four dimensions: overall over the six-year timeframe of the coalition's existence from 2018 to 2024, and across three distinct phases: the pre-COVID-19 period, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the post-COVID-19 period. The findings underscore the importance of purpose-driven collaboration in building adaptive, sustainable responses to crises, while also offering insights into the challenges and opportunities that arise in times of change. The study concludes that adherence to the interrelated constructs of CCAT during community coalition formation, maintenance, and institutionalization is critical for coalition success. Governance and leadership should be aware of these interrelated dynamics and how to adapt coalition mechanisms as internal and external contexts evolve. Strong foundations in CCAT dimensions during formation and the availability of resources may mitigate the impacts of external disruptions, but a lack of prepared and knowledgeable leadership to sustain meaningful stakeholder engagement, facilitate effective processes, and promote shared governance bounds the coalition's ability to move from formation to a more formalized structure capable of accomplishing its goals.