Involving Local Health Departments in Community Health Partnerships: Evaluation Results from the Partnership for the Public’s Health Initiative

This evaluation of the Partnership for the Public’s Health examined how local health departments (LHDs) and community partners made progress in capacity building and systems change. Partnerships that advanced furthest had strong, committed leadership; open communication; clear shared vision; and stable, skilled core members. Success was more common in smaller, well-defined communities and where health departments creatively used funding to support community work. High-performing LHDs made organizational changes, aligned planning with community priorities, and communicated with—not just to—residents. Barriers included leadership turnover, weak resident engagement, and bureaucratic rigidity. For preparedness practitioners, investing in leadership, trust-building, flexible financing, and authentic community engagement supports measurable progress.