UNLEASH the POWER of the

Collective Impact and the Importance of Partnerships

Discussion Questions

Why do we need partnerships with other sectors for effective literacy service planning?

What partners need to be involved in literacy service planning?

MTCU Expectations

“Planning and coordination should extend beyond Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) service providers to those other organizations whose mandates complement LBS and who have the capacity to provide some of the additional supports needed”

One of the service categories outlined for Regional Networks is to support seamless client pathways across EO and EDU, MCI and MTCU

“The Ministry’s vision of Employment Ontario (EO) is that there will eventually be a comprehensive system that, in addition to breaking down barriers between “programs”, will also better integrate the supports that clients/learners require to succeed

Key Principles Guiding EO Service Delivery

Integration “Service delivery goals, processes, infrastructure and

technology are aligned across channels allowing all EO service providers to meet client needs and provide seamless service”

Community-Based Coordination “All EO service delivery is provided throughout the province

by service providers that coordinate their work at the community level through participation in the local planning and coordination process”

Expanded System

Then Now

Literacy Sector

Literacy Sector

Education Sector

ImmigrationEmployment

Sector

An integrated training and employment system that supports seamless client pathways

Apprenticeship

Discussion Questions

How do we bring partners to the table?

How do we communicate the value of this type of planning?

Collective Impact

Introduced as a concept by John Kania and Mark Kramer in a paper in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (Winter 2011)

Focus is on multi-sector collaboration and collective impact

http://www.ssireview.org/images/articles/2011_WI_Feature_Kania.pdf

Using Collective Impact as an Organizing Framework

What is Collective Impact?

“The commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.”

Click here for a video about Collective Impact

The Concept of Collective Impact

Large-scale social change comes from better cross-sector coordination rather than from the isolated intervention of individual organizations

While the need to work collectively to solve complex social issues seems obvious, the reality is that working collectively can be challenging

Collective Impact is a disciplined and deliberate approach to working together with a clearly defined goal, focused on 5 conditions

Different sectors have different ways of thinking, different assumptions of how change happens and different languages

There are many incentives to work in isolation

Examples of Collective Impact

NEIGHBOURHOODLEGAL SERVICES(LONDON & MIDDLESEX) INC.

Child and Youth Network in London/Middlesex

Cross-sector collaboration that helps urban youth succeed academically from early childhood through college and enter a meaningful career

More than 300 organizations and institutions participate

Five Conditions for Collective Impact

There are five conditions necessary to support true alignment and generate powerful results

1. Common Agenda

2. Shared Measurement Systems

3. Mutually Reinforcing Activities

4. Continuous Communication

5. Backbone Support

Common AgendaTo establish a common agenda, a multi-sector group must come together and focus on the following three things:

1. A common understanding of the problem 2. Agreement on a common set of strategies for

addressing the problem3. Agreement to jointly address the problem and

hold one another accountable

Examples of Common Agendas1. End Poverty2. Make Literacy a Way of Life3. Lead the Nation in

Increasing Healthy Eating and Healthy Physical Activity

4. Create a Family-Centred Service System

CYN Agenda

Every child: 1. is prepared for school2. is supported in and out of

school3. succeeds academically4. enrols in some form of

post-secondary education5. graduates and enters a

career

Strive Partnership Report

Shared Measurement Systems It is important to have common ways to measure and

report on the success of the common agenda

Collecting data and measuring results consistently on a short set of indicators at the community level is both essential and doable

Great progress is happening in this area

Breakthroughs in Shared Measurement and Social Impact

Example: Child and Youth Network Established desired outcomes for each of the four priorities. Some

have a specific target (e.g., reducing the proportion of families living in poverty by 25% in five years). Others have more general targets of increasing the number of children who are ready for school and who stay in school, and improving physical activity levels and eating habits amongst London’s children, youth and families

For each priority, the group has identified the measures they will track to determine their progress. Developing common measurement systems will continue to be a priority over the next three years

CYN 2011 Progress Report

Example: Strive Monitors progress toward its five key goals using ten

community-level progress indicators

Annual report to the community documents the current status of each indicator and serves as a catalyst for discussion in the community

Strive 2011 Partnership Report

Mutually Reinforcing Activities Over time, because various players within a system are working

collectively, talking regularly and interacting more frequently around shared measurements, they begin to develop a much better sense of the work of various partners

Collective impact depends on a diverse group of stakeholders working together, not by requiring that all participants do the same thing, but by encouraging each participant to undertake the specific set of activities at which it excels in a way that supports and is coordinated with the actions of others

Example: Child and Youth Network Many organizations are working together to improve literacy.

Others are working together to enhance healthy eating and healthy physical activity. In these collaborations, each agency brings its own strengths and skills to bear to help achieve common targets

Organizations also offer a myriad of programs and services that are directed at accomplishing the same goals as the Child and Youth Network

Opportunities exist to align CYN initiatives and the approach of these organizations in an effort to support each other. This would leverage the great things that organizations are already doing in the community while making the CYN operate more efficiently

Continuous Communication This condition is one that is "blindingly obvious" and yet many

collaboratives do not continuously communicate well

Developing trust among nonprofits, corporations, and government agencies is a monumental challenge. Participants need several years of regular meetings to build up enough experience with each other to recognize and appreciate the common motivation behind their different efforts

They need time to see that their own interests will be treated fairly, and that decisions will be made on the basis of objective evidence and the best possible solution to the problem, not to favour the priorities of one organization over another

Examples In year five of its

process

In the first two years of the initiative, participants met every two weeks

Network meets 4 to 5 times a year

Public website with all agendas, minutes and documents (CYN Website)

Backbone Support Need an organization and staff with a very specific

set of skills to serve as the backbone for the whole initiative

Role is to facilitate alignment, coordination and collective problem-solving across multiple organizations and partners

Ensure the strategic coherence of the overall effort These organizations require a broad set of skills that

are rarely held within any one individual

Examples There are a number of

organizations helping to play this role within the Child and Youth Network

Eight full-time staff members

Each Student Success Network is assigned a Strive staff member as a coach

Each network has a facilitator to lead the bi-weekly meetings

Group Activity

Five workstations around the room. For each of the five conditions of Collective Impact, answer the questions:

What would this condition look like in action?

What would we see happening if we were doing this well?

Collective Impact and Partnerships Large-scale social change comes from better cross-

sector coordination rather than from the isolated intervention of individual organizations

This means partnerships!

While the need to work collectively to solve complex social issues seems obvious, the reality is that working collectively can be challenging

The Importance of Partnerships

Supporting seamless client pathways requires forging partnerships and collaboration among organizations

Integrating all of these partners is difficult and slow work. Collective impact is a marathon, not a sprint

The creation of partnerships leads to mutually reinforcing activities

Stakeholders don’t do the same things – they undertake a specific set of activities in which they excel in a way that supports and is coordinated with the actions of others...to achieve the shared vision/goal

The London Experience

Almost 5 years into the process

Over 150 different partner organizations

Neighbourhood Child and Family Centres open in 4 locations in 2012

Potential Barriers

What are some of the potential barriers to forging partnerships in the Employment Ontario system?

How can these potential barriers be overcome?

How can the concept of collective impact help to bring other partners to the planning table?

Pre-Conditions for Collective Impact

1. An Influential Champion - An individual or small group who commands the respect necessary to bring executive level cross-sector leaders together and keep them actively engaged over time

Child and Youth NetworkLynne Livingston is identified as key in making the process successful

StriveExecutive Committee of 23 CEOs and EDs who are well respected in the region and remain highly involved with the collaborative

2. Adequate Financial Resourcing - Adequate financial resources to last at least two to three years and generally involving at least one anchor funder to support needed infrastructure and planning

Strive’s annual budget is $2 million, while the combined annual budgets of all 300 participating organizations is nearly $7 billion

City of London receives $200,000 per year from the Province as a Community Integration Leader

3. A Sense of Urgency for Change - A new opportunity or crisis that convinces people that a particular issue must be acted upon now and/or that a new approach is needed

StriveOur success in growing a stronger economy and lifting incomes depends on getting better results in education

Child and Youth NetworkProvincial goals of integration and seamless service

Discussion Questions1. Do the three pre-conditions for collective impact exist in your

community? If not, what can you do to create them?

2. Which of the five conditions for successful collective impact do you see as a strength of your Network?

3. What are the important pieces you see as needing to be put in place to strengthen your Network’s work? Why?

4. What first steps can you take to strengthen your Network’s collective impact?

Choosing Potential Members Need an appropriate cross section of people Criteria for choosing potential members:

CapacityCapacity required varies with the scope of the effort

ImpactHow to involve end users – they know what they need best

DynamicsBe aware of existing relationships when choosing members

PowerPeople who have the power to achieve results. What powers might be helpful?

FamiliaritySimilarities and a history of positive working relationships are a benefit

StimulusSome people may attract others to be part of the group

DifficultyUnusual or difficult partners may be beneficial and necessary/Don’t avoid certain people

TerritoryInclude people from as many different sectors as appropriate

VarietyMembers with varied skills and powers

Trust and Relationship Building

Trust is a key aspect of establishing partnerships and building relationships

There are characteristic and competence behaviours which create trust

Trust is Established through Action

Talk straight Demonstrate respect Create transparency Right wrongs Show loyalty Deliver results Get better

Confront reality Clarify expectations Practice

accountability Listen first Keep commitments Extend trust

Common Mistakes

Failure to take the upfront time needed to develop support

Imposing a vision on members Designing processes that are not inclusive or open Failing to inform or involve members in an ongoing

and meaningful manner Leaders who take control and fail to build ownership

Reflection

What learnings and reflections do I have from this session?

What are some potential actions for my Regional Network?

Wrap Up and Questions

References Collective Impact (Stanford Social Innovation Review)

http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/collective_impact Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities. (October 2011). Supporting

Learners through Service Coordination and Referrals. Province of Ontario. Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. (April 2, 2012). Literacy and

Basic Skills: Service Provider Guidelines. Province of Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/publications/2012_lbs_sp_guidelines.pdf.

Winer, Michael and Karen Ray. (1994). Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining and Enjoying the Journey. Minnesota: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.