Partner engagement

There are no modules in this training course.

What is partner engagement?

It is the first step in the CODI Process with the objective to reach consensus on a collaborative approach to local CODI implementation. Partner organizations are identified for their possible organizational contributions and presented to the CODI planning group. Activities include recruiting and engaging partners that then participate in CODI implementation.

Implementation roles in CODI

Data Coordinating Center

Manages the project “front door,” query development and query distribution; manages data use agreements (DUA) and institutional review board (IRB) requirements; assembles longitudinal records from query results provided by data owners and data partners; and transmits project dataset to end users

Key escrow

Generates obfuscation key (salt) used in Privacy Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL) process

Data partner 

On behalf of data owner(s), assists in CODI data exchange by implementing CODI data models, participating in PPRL and/or responding to queries

Linkage agent

Performs data linkages on behalf of data owners using PPRL tools

Documenting partner engagement and readiness

An important aspect of a data sharing project is the establishment of trust among partners because information sharing happens at the speed of trust. A programmatic environmental scan assessing potential organization contributions should be one of the first steps for implementing CODI.

Preliminary assessment

The assessment performed determines potential community and clinical partners. In North Carolina, initially 36 community partners were identified as potential partners using these criteria:

provide relevant services AND have individual level data
have individual level data
supply obesity or social determinants of health (SDOH) relevant service directly
population served and geographic area represented

Potential partners were then classified into domains relevant to CODI: weight loss, chronic disease prevention, nutrition, physical activity, food insecurity, general SDOH, and if they included adults.

Clinical partners were also identified and assessed for their key areas related to CODI (weight interventions, SDOH screening, comorbidities, and vulnerable populations) and potential issues were flagged.

Once the partner assessment was completed, a partner outreach webinar was held to share information about CODI with potential partners.

Partner Information Session Presentation

This presentation provides a detailed overview of CODI—including its purpose, its approach, the implementation process, next steps, how data are used, and expectations for partners.

Level of Effort Description

This step provides a detailed description of levels of effort and roles in CODI implementation. This document is not currently publicly available; however, as part of the work next year, a public version of this document will be made available. The roles and responsibilities of each partner necessary are defined below.