Introduction
The strategies and implementation steps outlined in this toolkit will help public health agencies strengthen their relationship management and communication through thoughtful planning and use of CRM tools. By clarifying internal goals, standardizing workflows, and selecting right-sized tools that fit agency capacity, agencies can intentionally improve systems for engagement.
Public health agencies often face duplicative outreach, limited visibility into partner interactions, and inconsistent follow up. These challenges are the result of systems that weren’t designed to support the complexity of modern public health work, highlighting the need for more intentional relationship management. As foundational capabilities, communications infrastructure and partnership development are both integral to public health infrastructure.
This toolkit frames CRM not as a technology purchase, but as a set of practices grounded in user-centered design, sustainability, and continuous improvement. It is intended for public health staff, managers, evaluators, and leaders who are exploring ways to improve outreach coordination, partner engagement, and internal communication. This toolkit can be used whether you are beginning to formalize a process or refining an existing system.
