Strategic Cross Sector Partnerships and Vulnerable Populations

1. Strategic Cross Sector Partnerships and Vulnerable Populations David J. Maurrasse, Ph.D. Columbia University and Marga Incorporated GUCP June 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2. Increasing Urbanization • By 2030, more people will reside in urban than rural areas around the world • By 2050, 86% of those in the developed world will live in urban areas; 67% in the developing world will as well • Increased urbanization may raise the standard of living for some, but cities include substantial poverty, often concentrated in particular areas

3. Concentrated Poverty Nairobi, Kenya Ozama River, Dominican Republic Port Au Prince, Haiti

4. Conditions Facing Vulnerable Urban Communities • Slums are inhabited by one billion people around the world; by 2025, this number will double • Increases in these area populations are often due to mass migrations from rural areas seeking new opportunities • Many highly impoverished populations settle in overcrowded areas on the outskirts of central cities with substandard housing, often shacks • These populations face substantial economic and health challenges

5. Urban Competitiveness • The wider competitiveness of cities can benefit from the overall well being of urban inhabitants • Increasing poverty and highly concentrated vulnerable communities can pose a threat to the long term ability of cities to: • Grow economically across the population • Maintain health and safety

6. Place and People • As physical places in urban areas, slums face multiple challenges • The people inhabiting slums are confronted by numerous social and economic challenges • Since vulnerable populations are increasingly residing in urban areas, general strategies to meet Millennium Development Goals require an urban orientation • Poverty/hunger, education, gender equity, child health, etc. are urban problems • Strategies to address slums must address both spatial and human needs, harness resources across sectors, and include vulnerable populations themselves

7. Strategic Partnerships: Cross-Sector Collaboration Strategic Partnerships

8. Strategic Partnerships: Harnessing Assets Through Collaboration • Municipal governments do not have the resources to adequately address the full range of issues facing vulnerable communities • Strategic partnerships are required to leverage these resources across sectors for the wider well-being of cities and their regions • Vulnerable communities contain assets and forms of organization • Residents and their organizations’ representatives better understand the true nature of the challenges facing their communities • Including the resident voice in cross sector partnerships can increase impact Dalit: India

9. Developing World • Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI) brings together organizations representing the urban poor from 33 nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America • This network collaborates with the public sector to create effective local policies • Builds on established organizations in slums • Strengthens the voices of inhabitants • Enhances the quality and impact of public policy

10. Urban Poverty/Place in the Developed World New York, United States

11. Addressing VariousForms of Urban Poverty • Cost of living in some urban areas has created challenges for populations that may not be absolutely poor but are highly vulnerable • Affordable housing, schools, income, and health • It is important to leverage “Anchor” institutions (e.g. universities and medical centers) to address needs • New York City Housing Partnership • Local Strategic Partnerships in the UK

12. Process of Partnerships • Effective partnership processes are easier said than done • Knowledge of what it takes to create and maintain effective cross sector partnerships can be critical to success • Strategic Public Private Partnerships: Innovation and Development (Upcoming book)

13. Catalyzing Partnerships for Strategic Planning Across Sectors Marga Method

14. Conclusions • Demonstrable change for vulnerable populations must include cross sector partnerships as well as the active involvement of the populations served • Frameworks must be strategic, focused and able to create clear programs that can bring measurable outcomes • Concentrated poverty, the well being of metropolitan areas, and the prospects of entire nations are interdependent • It is important to capture effective examples of cross sector partnerships capable of improving vulnerable communities • The Program on Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at Columbia University continues to research partnerships