Building Safety Partnerships Using Social Network Analysis

Although public–private partnerships have been useful components in public health and safety initiatives, little has been published on how to cultivate effective public health and safety partnerships for upstream social marketing initiatives. Using the development of a U.S. tractor safety alliance as an example, we illustrate how social network analysis can be used to identify organizations that are likely to be strategic partners and targets for upstream social marketing. In our project, knowledgeable informants first identified members of a national agricultural stakeholder network in the United States. Then, we surveyed the representatives of these organizations about their organizations’ interest in joining a new U.S. tractor safety initiative, the connections between their own and other stakeholder organizations, and their perceptions of the organizations most able to advance a U.S. tractor safety initiative. From our analysis of these data, we identified 10 organizations that have the partnerships, resources, and interest necessary to lead an effective tractor safety partnership. These organizations will be the focus of an upstream social marketing initiative aimed at building a strategic tractor safety alliance.