Learning the how of collaboration: action research on neighbourhood-level health promotion

Abstract

Intersectoral collaboration and citizen engagement at the neighbourhood level are widely recognised as essential strategies to address complex public health challenges such as population ageing, rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages, and persistent health inequalities. Although research highlights the importance of early stakeholder involvement, shared ownership, and alignment with neighbourhood needs, professionals often struggle to organise and sustain such collaboration in practice. This presentation is based on an action research project in two neighbourhoods in the centre of the Netherlands, in which citizens and professionals from diverse backgrounds, including public health, primary care, social work, sports, and local government, jointly developed ways to collaborate in neighbourhood-based health promotion. Rather than starting with predefined tools or structures, participants collectively explored neighbourhood issues, clarified roles and expectations, and shaped collaboration processes. Throughout the process, reflection and dialogue were central, enabling participants to continuously adjust their ways of working in response to emerging insights and local dynamics. The project shows how working together on the how of collaboration helped strengthen intersectoral relationships, supported the development of shared agendas, and increased mutual understanding between citizens and professionals. Using appropriate tools and methods facilitated reflection on collaboration processes, stimulated dialogue among stakeholders, and helped translate neighbourhood concerns into shared priorities and actions. Our experiences illustrate how action research and the use of tools can support community-level health promotion by creating space for learning, adaptability, and shared ownership, and how such collaboration processes form an important foundation for the practical tools presented in this session.