7. Case Study: Partnerships For Intersectoral Action In Alberta And The Alberta Community HIV Fund

In the Alberta/Northwest Territories Region, the regional mobilization of population health has been supported through a broad capacity-building initiative involving a partnership between Health Canada and Alberta Health and Wellness. For both of these partners, development of this initiative was a natural evolution of their strong existing relationship as well their mutual valuing of community-based, intersectoral strategies, that had existed among key individuals in both partner organizations for several years prior to the formalization of the population health approach. The development of their joint effort, starting in 1997, coincided, on the federal side with the implementation of the Population Health Fund, and an attendant desire to use it in a new way of doing business, and on the provincial side, with a business plan emphasizing inter-departmental and inter-governmental collaboration.

With the general aim of supporting the development of capacity for population health mobilization, and in particular for building skills and competencies in intersectoral action, two major workshops have been held, targeting groups funded through the Population Health Fund and the provincial Action for Health program. The first, held in 1999, aimed at developing awareness and capacity for intersectoral action, and led to the production of the Intersectoral Action Toolkit. This was followed by a second workshop, in March 2000, which brought together existing intersectoral teams "to cultivate and strengthen intersectoral action and networking skills among existing and prospective intersectoral team partners."⁶ The overall emphasis in this approach has been to create a broad base of supports, relationships and skills that can be called upon to orient and strengthen population health initiatives at all levels, from the 17 Regional Health Authorities to province-wide initiatives.

This work provides the overall context for more detailed examination of a flagship initiative that illustrates the overall approach: the Alberta Community HIV Fund (ACHF). The ACHF was one of two case studies used in the first intersectoral action workshop and is included in the Intersectoral Action Toolkit.

Aimed at supporting community groups in the provision of HIV prevention, care and support activities, the ACHF is a joint community/federal/provincial initiative, combining Health Canada's AIDS Community Action Program (ACAP) and Alberta Health and Wellness' community organization grants for Community Care and Support and for the Prevention and Control of HIV, in a new and unique management structure.

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• 7.1 Methodology
• 7.2 Description of the Initiative
• 7.3 Analyses: How This Initiative Illustrates The Mobilization Of Population Health
  • 7.3.1 How the determinants of health are addressed
  • 7.3.2 How the focus is placed on the health of populations
  • 7.3.3 How upstream investment has occurred
  • 7.3.4 What accomplishments are anticipated in the short, medium and long term
  • 7.3.5 How multiple strategies are applied
  • 7.3.6 How collaboration across levels and sectors has occurred
    • 7.3.6.1 Nature and implications of collaboration
    • 7.3.6.2 Resources brought by partners (5B)
    • 7.3.6.3 Involvement of specific sectors (5A, 5C, 5D)
    • 7.3.6.4 Gains and challenges from intersectoral collaboration (5G, 5H)
    • 7.3.6.5 Sustainability (5E)
  • 7.3.7 How mechanisms for citizen engagement have been employed
  • 7.3.8 How accountability for health outcomes has been increased
  • 7.3.9 How knowledge development has occurred

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6. E. Makwarimba, Evaluation report. Teaming up for intersectoral action workshop, Health Promotion and Programs Branch, Alberta/Northwest Territories Region, Health Canada, 2000, p. 1.

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