Common challenges

Building trust with government stakeholders

Coalitions must find ways of persuading government stakeholders to cede political ground and adopt recommendations, which some stakeholders might see as a challenge to their authority. Thus, trust-building is imperative and tied to openness, transparency, and constant engagement.

Managing competing agendas

Because coalitions bring together stakeholders from media and civil society, competition in terms of agendas and donor funding is prevalent among members. However, managing these differences and agendas is possible through tact and diplomacy, as well as insights to identify common interests among differing parties.

Maintaining momentum

Maintaining momentum can be complicated because it depends on the coalition's ability to achieve and document short-term outcomes and progress towards long-term goals. It is important, however, to consider momentum to prevent stakeholders from losing interest, as well as maintaining the coalition's focus.

Steep learning curve

It is necessary to equip coalition members with the necessary skills to implement core activities and deliver measurable results. Thus, it is important to assess the starting point for each coalition member, and prepare the required learning materials.