2015 Articles

Learning alliance methodology: Contributions and challenges for multicultural planning in health service provision: A case study in Kent, UK

Moreno-Leguizamon, Carlos; Tovar-Restrepo, Marcela; Irazabal Zurita, Clara E.; Locke, Christine

This article examines contributions and challenges of learning alliance methodology to multicultural planning in health provision services in an urban context. A learning alliance was implemented to target health needs of different ethno-racial groups through an action research project in Swale, Kent, UK. We argue that a learning alliance is an innovative methodology that can contribute to multicultural planning by (1) promoting the involvement of new planning stakeholders and the institutionalization of learning alliance outcomes, (2) ensuring capacity-building strategies, (3) emphasizing documentation and dissemination as innovative practices, and (4) strengthening the network capacity of a community. Critical reflections are presented here as a constructive view to improve both the learning alliance methodology and multicultural planning. The article contributes to debates on public service delivery in the context of discussions about multiculturalism, health and planning.