BACKGROUND:
Washington State WIC and Immunization Programs began collaborating in 1996. In 2000, the decision was made to move this collaboration in a new direction by forming a statewide WIC/Immunization Planning Workgroup. This group is comprised of state and local level WIC and Immunization staff. Considering the differences in program focus and service delivery, the first step was to learn about each other’s culture.

OBJECTIVE:
The workgroup focused on the basic working assumption that both programs were of equal importance. The overarching goal was to provide direction to the State WIC and Immunization Programs for a long-term relationship that would be a win/win for both programs.

METHOD:
Members dedicated four meetings to learning in-depth about each other’s program culture. This included learning each program’s requirements and terminology, budget specifics, services provided, and populations served. This led members to participate in a “Common Ground” activity that provided enhanced information at the local level.

RESULT:
The workgroup developed a five-year strategic plan with three major goals, and related objectives, in the areas of Technology (linking WIC with the CHILD Profile Registry), Partnership and Access. Conference attendance/exhibits/presentations, newsletter articles and overall educational outreach have broadly enhanced partnership activities. At the state level, additional activities were initiated to carry out the workgroup recommendations to help strengthen the partnership.

CONCLUSION:
The first step in developing a firm foundation for cross-program collaboration is to take the time to develop an understanding of the cultural similarities and differences between the WIC and Immunization Programs. The basic working assumption that both programs are of equal importance has added credibility to our efforts.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Illustrate the importance of understanding program culture when doing cross-program collaboration.