Community Collaboration Liz Weaver Vibrant Communities Canada

1. Working Together Community Collaboration Liz Weaver Vibrant Communities Canada Community Partnerships

2. Learning Objectives • To understand the key indicators that contribute towards a successful collaborations • To identify the skills and strengths you and your organization can bring to collaborations including communication, leadership, problem-solving and decision-making • To identify the unique challenges of working across sectors Community Partnerships

3. Community Partnerships

4. Collaborationis the most intense level of working together. It is a structureand processfor creating change. A collaborative effort is driven by partners who agree to share information, activities, resources, influence, power, and decision-making authority to achieve common goals-goals that no single partner or program could achieve by acting alone. Community Partnerships

5. Strategies for Nimble Collaboration • Focus on results • Shape relationships • Structure for resilience - Source: Karen Ray – The Nimble Collaboration Community Partnerships

6. A Continuum… Lower Higher INTENSITY COLLABORATION COORDINATION COOPERATION COMMUNICATE Community Partnerships

7. Levels of Partnerships Collaboration Coalition Coordination Cooperation Networking -Source: National Network for Collaboration Community Partnerships

8. Questions to discuss Community Partnerships • What collaborations are you currently involved in? • What is the purpose of these collaborations? • What are some of the successes? • What are some of the challenges?

9. Stages & Milestones Reflect and Celebrate STAGE 4 – Taking Action Reflect and Celebrate Milestones STAGE 3 – Developing a Strategic Plan Reflect and Celebrate STAGE 2 –Building Trust and Ownership Reflect and Celebrate STAGE 1 – Getting Together -Source: Adapted from Melaville & Blank Community Partnerships

10. The Collaboration Framework OUTCOMES Public Safety Education Economic Well-Being Family Support Health Environment IMPACT MEASURES Real People Impacts Policy Development Systems Development Resource Development CONTEXTUAL FACTORS Political Climate Resource Catalyst Political/Law Regulations History of Working Together Contributions PROCESS FACTORS Leadership Community Development Understanding Community Communication Sustainability Research & Evaluations CORE FOUNDATION Vision – Mission – Values – Principles - Source: National Network for Collaboration Community Partnerships

11. Principles of Collaboration • Partners must understand not only the values, goals, and constraints of the collaboration itself but also the values, goals, and constraints of the other partners. • Collaborations must translate broad goals into measurable, interim targets and time frames • Different issues require different types of partnerships - Source: Drucker Foundation- Community Partnerships

12. Principles of Collaboration • Collaborations rely not just on the clarity of mission but also on a mutual understanding of partners’ roles. • Different sectors of society have different needs and objectives, but must work together. - Source: Drucker Foundation- Community Partnerships

13. Seven ’s • Connectionwith purpose and people • Clarity of purpose • Congruency of mission, strategy, and values • Creation of value • Communication between partners • Continual learning • Commitment to the partnership - Source: James Austin - The Collaboration Challenge Community Partnerships

14. The Collaborative Premise • Bring the appropriate people together • Bring people together in constructive ways so that they can deal with their different understanding of the issues, build trust and a process that encourages people to work together • Good information is critical to good decision making – involve experts in the process as informers rather than drivers • David Chrislip – Collaborative Leadership Community Partnerships

15. Who should be at the collaborative table? Community Partnerships Pick an issue you want to advance as a table. • Who is already working on this issue? • Who might be impacted by the issue? • Who might be interested in the issue? • How can you get them involved?

16. The Solution is the Enterprise A community needs to create the capacity to “lead/manage” at this enterprise level. • Clear Aspiration -- “Are we Making the Same Movie?” • Clear Accountability -- “Does it get us to our Aspiration?” Community Partnerships

17. Successful Collaborations - A Community Response • Tangible and substantial responses to a presenting issue • Systemic approach to reach a deeper understanding of the real problem • Sustainable results – building the social capital of the community to deal with this and future issues in a real way Community Partnerships

18. Collaborative Process - Four Critical Aspects • A focus for the collaboration • Inclusive – broad involvement of community stakeholders (reflective not representative) • A constructive process to deal with the diversity of individuals involved which increases the understanding of the issue • Presence of strong facilitative leaders within the stakeholder group Community Partnerships

19. Good timing and clear need Strong stakeholder groups Broad based involvement Credible and open process Commitment and involvement of high level leaders Support of established authority Ability to overcome mistrust and skepticism Strong leadership Interim successes A shift to broader concerns Cross Sector Success Factors Community Partnerships

20. Elements of Success • Elements of successful collaboration • Unique purpose, attainable goals, distinct and structured membership, continuous communication and dialogue, and shared resources • Equal responsibility for decision-making • Effective meetings strategies • Partner roles in meetings • Trust / Honesty • Commitment Community Partnerships