| Government directives in the U.S. and abroad have increasingly demanded coordination among child and family serving programs. Despite the assumed importance of interagency coordination, there are significant gaps in understanding of what it is and how it works. Existing literature on interagency coordination in early childhood suggests that there are inconsistencies in operationalizing and measuring coordination. The present study proposes a conceptual model for operationalizing coordination. Quantitative analyses including regression, factor analysis, and classification analysis were conducted with a sample of 126 participants from 10 interagency teams. Results provide support for the conceptual model that differentiates between intangible facilitators and structural process elements, while only facilitators were found to predict coordination. The present study contributes to the knowledge base of interagency coordination and has implications for the field in terms of investment, resource allocation, and action. |
