Our History

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For more than 25 years, the Center for Collaborative Planning (CCP) has catalyzed people to actualize their visions for healthier communities. Co-founded in 1994 by Executive Director Connie Chan Robison, CCP is a woman of color led organization dedicated to growing the capacity of communities to shape, influence, and lead social change to improve health and equity in California. CCP is a program of the Public Health Institute (PHI), a global non-profit leader in public health research, policy, and practice for over 55 years with a vision to improving the health, well-being, and quality of life for people around the world.

 

Since 1994, we’ve worked with a vast network partners to build effective networks, support communities of practice, and train new leaders. Through our flagship program Women’s Health Leadership, more than 450 diverse grassroots leaders representing 22 ethnic/cultural groups completed year-long projects to provide education, enhance health services, and impact policy. WHL’s impact is both transformative and enduring: graduates fill key leadership positions in statewide and local agencies and the program has been replicated for specific populations, including The Latina Center’s WHL program, culturally adapted and offered in Spanish.

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​Our Portfolio

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Our diverse and complex project portfolio speaks to our adaptability, perseverance, and rich web of relationships that contribute to CCP’s longevity. No matter the project – large or small, short-term or multi-year – we start by asking the “right questions” and listening deeply to answers.

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CCP has assisted community-based, philanthropic and government agencies with planning and implementing over 200 health improvement initiatives to improve children and women’s health, reform health care services, and prevent substance abuse, obesity, teen pregnancy, and violence. In the process, we’ve trained thousands of people in group facilitation, community action research, program planning, organizational sustainability, policy advocacy, and collaboration and communication skills.

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​​Our Frameworks

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Our work is rooted in Asset Based Community Development, an approach that emphasizes building caring relationships and mobilizing existing acquired resources to solve tough issues and create resilient communities. We’re known for creating inclusive spaces that enable groups to work productively together. We rely on the Technology of Participation facilitation practices developed by the Institute for Cultural Affairs to enhance collaboration. Public health principles and practice are applied across our programs, emphasizing individual and community agency and empowerment, prevention, and environmental, systems and policy change.

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