Forming, managing and sustaining alliances for health promotion

Issue addressed To create consistency among the health promotion alliances in which it engages, the National Heart Foundation of Australia (NHFA) undertook to develop guidelines for the formation, management and sustainability of alliances for cardiovascular health. Methods A condensed review of the key themes in the literature and survey of staff who were involved in health promotion alliances were conducted to guide the development of a checklist and template Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for use by staff when engaging in health promotion alliances. Results The essential factors for forming, managing and sustaining alliances are explored extensively throughout the literature. Here we provide a condensed overview of the key themes relating to the advantages and barriers of health promotion alliances, plus a useful set of principles for forming, managing and, where applicable, sustaining health promotion alliances. Conclusions Alliances are a crucial part of the cardiovascular health work of the NHFA and, indeed, broader approaches to promote health. These alliances may involve simply sharing knowledge and creating networks, or they may involve complex arrangements to address broad health issues. So what? Alliances for health promotion are essential, yet there are many common barriers to effective alliances. This paper offers a cumulation of steps, which were identified for the NHFA, to guide the planning, management and (if appropriate) the maintenance of health promotion alliances to achieve ongoing benefits for public health.