Table 1 The Central Oklahoma Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaboration’s Definition for each of the Collective Impact Constructs (Kania and Kramer, [8])

Common Agenda

Agreement from all member organizations on the primary goals of the collaborative.

Reduce the teen birth rate in Oklahoma County by one-third by 2020

Shared Measurement

Ensure that data is systematically collected and reported based on a set of indicators that can be used by all members of the collaborative to uniformly assess programs and encourage accountability.

Shared data measures developed by Collaboration members for education, medical, and community settings that monitors the increase in access to information about preventing pregnancy, access to and usage of contraception by sexually active youth and young adults, and strengthens protective factors for youth at risk of teen pregnancy within the community

Mutually Reinforcing Activities

Acknowledges that though different partners have distinct roles in the system, their activities are linked to an overarching goal that is collaboratively determined.

Partner activities in education, medical, and community settings that encompassed sexual and reproductive health education in schools, increased access to medical services, and youth development programs in the community

Continuous Communication

Involves regular interactions that build relationships, trust, and a shared vocabulary.

Open channels of communication to ensure coordination of activities, highlighting successes of the Collaboration to the community, and receive feedback on Collaboration functioning

Backbone Support

Establishes a dedicated staff, separate from collaborative partners, that coordinates, facilitates, supports, guides, and mediates the collaborative effort.

Purpose of Thrive: guide vision and strategy, build a movement in the community, support aligned activities, establish shared measurement practices, advance policy, mobilize funding