Community health planning from an interorganizational perspective

Planning agencies do not have control over health care resources in the community. Resources are concentrated in a number of provider organizations, associations, and government agencies, which have common goals as well as a diversity of individual objectives, and therefore enter into networks of relationships to accomplish their overlapping service missions. Interorganizational research shows that it is important to enhance the interdependence and benefits of cooperation between organizations and at the same time maintain the identity and distinctive qualities of each organization. Thus, in addition to the important role to provide information for decisions, planners have a role to manage the interdependencies and identities among organizations in the health system. Research shows that in situations where only methods, data, and analysis were emphasized by health planners, they had less impact on community decisions than in situations where planners also emphasized the development of the interorganizational system of decision-making. In a neutral position with respect to competing forces, planners can more effectively use their leverage from their information processing role and from their regulatory powers to facilitate the balancing of interorganizational interests and to enhance cooperative benefits to the community.