Table 1 Emerging alignment of multisector collaboration (MSC) theoretical and conceptual frameworks/ models, illustrative examples

Dynamic networks, changing contexts: The collaboration occurs within wider interactions and networks and changing political, social, and environmental context

Pre-conditions: buy-in to the process; recognized interdependencies; resources; and prior relations (history of interaction)

Understand the key actors and political ecosystem, including type of MSC required and mapping incentives, interests and hierarchies

Contextualisation: key contextual factors affecting MSC likelihood, formation, implementation, impact, etc. across place, time, topic, partner type(s), etc., including nature and extent of their influence on MSCs

Drive change: Set agendas and mobilize a critical mass of stakeholders for change; ascertain whether the situation is best tackled by MSC; and optimise linkages across sectors and SDGs

Initiation: Key opportunities, conditions or drivers for MSC formation; appropriate scope and scale; which partners to engage and when and how to engage them

Define: define the problem in a way that improves how solutions are assessed, and enables stakeholders to agree on a course of action and develop a well-defined project

Key drivers / requirements: shared understanding of the problem and common goal; strategic planning; leadership; and capacity

Frame the issue in the most strategic manner; define clear roles with specific sets of interventions according to sector

Design: build on existing mechanisms and sectoral expertise to plan programmes; set up governance for the MSC;

and develop solutions and innovations that are relevant to stakeholders, contexts, and goals

Mechanisms and processes: set up mechanisms for interaction, communication, conflict management and building trust.

Structure: definition of membership and expectations, roles and responsibilities, and operating procedures

Use existing structures unless there is a compelling reason not to do so

MSC governance structures and attributes: leadership; voice, inclusiveness and representation; roles and responsibilities; accountability and information sharing mechanisms

Realise: strengthen implementation, monitoring, and evaluation as iterative and adaptive processes that facilitate learning from successes and failures; and adapt to change

Execution: implementation of the plan; coordination of activities; and constant reflection and learning

Develop financing and monitoring systems to encourage collaboration; strengthen implementation processes and capacity

MSC implementation: key strategies, approaches, challenges and success factors; building capacity for engagement; maintaining stakeholder commitment

Relate: systematically assess and strengthen synergies between sectors; manage MSCs; and promote multistakeholder dialogue and deliberation

Administration: setting up meeting and sending out invites; documentation of engagements; and following up action plans

Pay explicit attention to the roles of non-state sectors; address conflicts of interest and manage trade-offs; distribute leadership

Adaptation: key factors and actions affecting sustainability of MSCs over time; adapting MSCs to changing conditions; whether, when and how to conclude MSCs

Capture success: use a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to monitor and evaluate results comprehensively and promote learning from both successes and failures; and formulate MSC as an intervention to which health and development outcomes can be attributed

Evaluation: measuring the outcome of collaboration; accounting for multisectoral action

Support mutual learning and implementation research

Measurement: indicators or assessments of MSC inputs/costs, functioning, outputs, outcomes and/or impacts; value-add of MSC vs single-sector approaches; attributing results to MSC components or partners