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Structures and Roles of Collective Impact Webinar for the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers

September 2014

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Webinar technology overview

Matt.Duffy@fsg.org

If you experience any technical difficulties, please email

Welcome to the webinar! This webinar is being recorded and you will receive the slides There will be Q&A during the last 20 minutes – you can submit your questions two ways:

1. You can use the question function of the webinar software to type in questions – only the hosts and panelists will be able to see those questions

2. You can “raise your hand”, which will give us the signal to unmute you and then you can ask your question via the telephone

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Webinar agenda

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Brief refresher on Collective Impact

Overview of structures and roles of Collective Impact

Insights from practitioners

Interactive Q&A

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Context: isolated interventions will not work for addressing complex social problems

Step-by-step recipes

Technical solutions

Complicated Complex Emergent systems

Isolated Impact Collective Impact

Collective Impact is the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors

to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

Simple

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There are five conditions of Collective Impact

Common Agenda

All participants share a vision for change that includes a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving the problem through agreed-upon actions

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Shared Measurement System

All participating organizations agree on the ways success will be measured and reported, with a short list of common indicators identified and used for learning and improvement

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Mutually Reinforcing Activities

A diverse set of stakeholders, typically across sectors, coordinate a set of differentiated activities through a mutually reinforcing plan of action

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Continuous Communication

All players engage in frequent and structured open communication to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation

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Backbone Support

An independent, funded staff dedicated to the initiative provides ongoing support by guiding the initiative’s vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy, and mobilizing resources

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Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

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Webinar agenda

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Brief refresher on Collective Impact

Overview of structures and roles of Collective Impact

Insights from practitioners

Interactive Q&A

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Steering committees, working groups, the backbone and community partners all play a role in Collective Impact

* Adapted from Listening to the Stars: The Constellation Model of Collaborative Social Change, by Tonya Surman and Mark Surman, 2008.

partner-driven action

strategic guidance and support = community

partner (e.g., nonprofit, funder, business, public agency, parent)

Community partners working on strategies

Backbone Support

• Guides strategy • Supports

aligned activities • Establishes

shared measurement

• Builds public will • Advances policy • Mobilizes

resources

Steering Committee

Work Group

Work Group

Work Group

Work Group

Chair Chair

Chair Chair

Chair Chair

Chair

Chair

Common Agenda and Shared Metrics

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Service Provision Working Group

Access to WIA Services

Working Group

Proposal Review

Committee

Best Practices Working Group

Resident Engagement

Working Group

Bridge Programs Working Group

Data Working Group

Employer Engagement

Working Group

Public Agency Partners

Backbone Support (Chicago Jobs Council)

Funding Group (Partnership for New

Communities)

Strategic Advisors

Group (SAG)

Collaborative of government agencies, foundations, non-profits and employers committed to helping connect 5,000 public housing residents to jobs through skills training and

education, from January 2006 through December 2010

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A strong steering committee is important for building credibility and bringing other stakeholders to the table

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

Strategic direction • Helping to establish the common agenda • Championing the effort broadly in the county • Aligning the actions of own agencies to the initiative's goals, indicators, and strategies • Promoting the effective use of data for continuous improvement

Oversight • Interacting with the backbone support entity on strategy, community engagement and

shared measurement • Monitoring progress against common agenda goals and indicators to ensure continued

advancement and to uncover any obstacles • Providing guidance to working groups’ efforts and ensuring connections are made

Active, regular participation • Participating in regularly scheduled meetings in person (every 4-6 weeks) • Reviewing pre-read materials prior to meetings, doing any “homework” assignments to

come prepared for engaged discussion, active listening, and respectful dialogue • Committing to 6-12 months membership of the Steering Committee

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Steering committee members should be carefully recruited; the following traits are important

Decision maker C-level / president able to drive relevant systems change

Representative Geographic coverage of effort as well as sectors

Influential champion Commands respect of stakeholders

Content expertise / practitioner Familiar with subject matter to contribute substantively

Passion and urgency Passionate about issue and urgency for the need to change

Focused on the greater interest Able to think and act in the greater interest of the community

Commitment Able to commit time and energy to meetings and the work

Lived experience Brings experience with or affected by the issue

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

Attract Avoid

ₓ Too much agreement / only the usual suspects

ₓ Too much disagreement / pre-programmed hostility

ₓ People who are not able to “tune” (i.e. listen to others)

ₓ People who can’t leave their egos at the door

ₓ People who polarize

ₓ People who only come to the table because they think there will be funding

ₓ People who are too busy to put in the time and effort

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Working groups have the following responsibilities

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

Strategy and indicator development

• Review research on effective strategies within local context (if applicable) and external best practices

• Use data to inform identification of strategies and ongoing refinement • Develop and refine indicators

Implementation

• Coordinate activities among working group member organizations and other relevant partners

• Identify resources to support and / or execute strategies • Provide progress updates to and learn from the steering committee, backbone, and

other working groups

Leadership

• Champion the effort with relevant stakeholders • Align member organizations’ work to the goals, indicators, and strategies of the

working group where possible

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These responsibilities are carried out by leadership and members

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

• Two co-chairs

• Can commit the time (~3-4 hours / month plus meetings, but time will vary)

• Collaborative leaders and facilitators, conveners, able to “get stuff done”

• Also possess the traits below

• Issue-aligned, collaborative, action-oriented

• Can commit to attending meetings and reviewing pre-read materials

• Are knowledgeable about the problem to be addressed

• Usually one level down from the steering committee members, but have authority to represent organizations and make decisions

• Cross-sector representation

• 7-10 members initially (will vary by initiative)

Members

Leadership

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Working group formation is both art and science; here are some guiding considerations to help with this

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

What specific working groups are required to meet the goal of the initiative?

How many is the right number, especially at the beginning?

What do the working groups need to accomplish in the first six months?

• What does the scope of the problem reveal about the areas that need coordinated attention?

• What types of strategies are required, e.g., strategies that increase coordination enhance services target advocacy and

policy change set up intentional learning

through a pilot • What existing coalitions and

collaborations already exist that can be built upon?

• How many strong leaders exist that can lead these working groups?

• How many working groups can be the backbone realistically manage and get off the ground at once?

• Where is there energy and momentum in the community?

• Using data to further understand the problem and developing an approach to continuous learning

• Identifying high-leverage strategies and quick wins

• Building relationships among members and maintaining a sense of excitement

• Transitioning from relying on the backbone to relying on co-chairs to lead and manage the activities (and meetings) of the working group

Don’t reinvent the wheel

Less might be more at first

Be ambitious but realistic

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Backbone supports need to cover six functions; while these are “behind the scenes” they are all measurable

Guide vision and strategy

• Partners accurately describe the common agenda • Partners publicly discuss / advocate for common agenda goals • Partners’ individual work is increasingly aligned with common agenda • Board members and key leaders increasingly look to backbone organization for initiative support, strategic

guidance and leadership

Support aligned activities

• Partners articulate their role in the initiative • Relevant stakeholders are engaged in the initiative • Partners communicate and coordinate efforts regularly, with, and independently of, backbone • Partners report increasing levels of trust with one another • Partners increase scope / type of collaborative work • Partners improve quality of their work • Partners improve efficiency of their work • Partners feel supported and recognized in their work

Establish shared measurement practices

• Shared data system is in development • Partners understand the value of shared data • Partners have robust / shared data capacity • Partners make decisions based on data • Partners utilize data in a meaningful way

Build public will

• Community members are increasingly aware of the issue(s) • Community members express support for the initiative • Community members feel empowered to engage in the issue(s) • Community members increasingly take action

Advance policy

• Target audience (e.g., influencers and policymakers) is increasingly aware of the initiative • Target audiences advocate for changes to the system aligned with initiative goals • Public policy is increasingly aligned with initiative goals

Mobilize resources

• Funders are asking nonprofits to align to initiative goals • Funders are redirecting funds to support initiative goals • New resources from public and private sources are being contributed to partners and initiative

Source: FSG and Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

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There are several common misperceptions about backbones

That the backbone:

ₓ sets the agenda for the group

ₓ drives the solutions

ₓ receives all the funding

ₓ is self appointed rather than selected by the community

ₓ is “business as usual” in terms of staffing, time, and resources

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

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Six sources of influence enable backbones and their leaders to shape and guide without formal authority

Source: FSG interviews and analysis.

1 Competence

• Technical expertise in a relevant content area, strategic visioning and problem-solving

• Interpersonal skills to manage relationships

• Conceptual ability to take the bird’s eye view and see initiative as a whole

2 Commitment

• Track record demonstrating dedication to the issue and / or initiative

• Significant ongoing effort to the initiative, inspiring confidence in others that the backbone is reliable and persistent

3 Neutrality

• Objectivity of having no personal stake and no competitive dynamic with those involved

• Inclusivity, creating safe spaces for difficult conversations and representing the needs of others

4 Data & information

• Quality data and research to understand the problem, promote accountability, learn and improve

• Perspectives from community members and those who stand to directly benefit from the work

• Media channels to disseminate information

5 Network

• Strong connections to cross-sector players and community members, enabling backbone to broker and mediate relationships between individuals and groups

• Endorsements from influential champions

6 Visibility

• Awareness about the initiative and the backbone’s contributions among partners and community members

• Regard for backbone and recognition of its supportive role (i.e. sense that backbone does not seek to take credit)

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Webinar agenda

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2 |

3 |

4 |

Brief refresher on Collective Impact

Overview of structures and roles of Collective Impact

Insights from practitioners

Interactive Q&A

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Insights from practitioners

Dee Athey Associate Vice President, Impact Strategies United Way of Central Maryland

Marianne Navarro Neighborhood Liaison & Anchor Institution Coordinator Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development

United Way: Changing the Odds for Families Facing Poverty United Way of Central Maryland

Preventing and ending homelessness in central Maryland with Collective Impact

• The Journey Home: Baltimore City’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness

• A Home for All: The Baltimore County’s 10 Year Plan to Prevent and Reduce Homelessness

• Howard County’s Plan to End Homelessness • Other regional initiatives

Mayor’s Office of Economic and Neighborhood Development

BCAP AND BIP SUPPORT EACH OTHER

BCAP BIP

Work Tables - Local Hiring – Local Purchasing – Community Development

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Webinar agenda

1 |

2 |

3 |

4 |

Brief refresher on Collective Impact

Overview of structures and roles of Collective Impact

Insights from practitioners

Interactive Q&A

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Questions for the moderator or panelists

Questions?