A Framework for SART Effectiveness: Part 1

Guest Blog by Katie Johnson | STOP Projects Coordinator at SVJI @MNCASA

Happy Wednesday, everyone! For the next several weeks, we’re going to be blogging about the findings of a new SVJI resource on the internal and external factors that can lead to SART success. This resource was created after SVJI visited 17 systems-change SARTs across the US and did a consensus-building project to find out which factors they agreed were most needed for the effectiveness of their teams.

The final result was a ten-factor framework, with six internal factors and four external factors that each received 100% consensus as being “very important or essential” to team success. None of these factors are more or less important than any of the others, and there is no one right or wrong way to use any of these factors in your work. The framework is meant to be a tool that you can apply based on what works best in your team and in your community.

Image 1: An infographic displaying the six internal and four external factors that make up the framework

The six internal factors agreed upon by the interviewed teams are:

• A shared vision and model,
• Multi-level leadership,
• A culture of learning,
• Continual evaluation and improvement,
• Diverse membership, and
• Emphasis on relationships and teamwork.

The four external factors agreed upon are:

• Confident individual members,
• Supportive member agencies,
• Access to resources and networking, and
• Community support and involvement.

The primary difference between the internal and external factors in the framework is that the internal factors are parts of the structure, activities, and culture of the team itself. The external factors, on the other hand, represent things that members, agencies, and community members can bring into the team from the outside.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll discuss all of the factors that make up the framework, along with some of the benefits that applying these factors can have for your team. Next week, we’ll be digging into the first of the six internal factors. Stay tuned and let us know in the comments or by emailing [email protected] if you have any questions!