Boston | Geneva | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington FSG.ORG
March 13, 2014
Presentation for:
Addressing Complex Community Problems
through Collective Impact
United Nations Association of
San Francisco
FSG.ORG
2 © 2014 FSG
FSG Overview
• Nonprofit consulting firm specializing in strategy,
evaluation and research with offices in Boston,
Seattle, San Francisco, DC, and Geneva
• Partner with foundations, corporations, nonprofits,
and governments to develop more effective solutions
to the world’s most challenging issues
• Recognized thought leader in social impact,
philanthropy and corporate social responsibility
• Staff of 130 full-time professionals with passion
and experience to solve social problems
• Advancing Collective Impact via publications,
conferences, speaking engagements, client projects
FSG Overview
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What is Collective Impact?
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There Are Several Types of Problems
Source: Adapted from “Getting to Maybe”
Simple Complicated
Baking a Cake
Sending a Rocket
to the Moon
Social sector treats problems as simple or
complicated
Complex
Raising a Child
Collective Impact Overview
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Complex Problems Require a Different Type of
Approach
• All working toward the same goal
and measuring the same things
• Cross-sector alignment with
government, nonprofit,
philanthropic and corporate
sectors as partners
• Organizations actively coordinating
their action and sharing lessons
learned
Isolated Impact Collective Impact
Collective Impact recognizes that no single organization is responsible
for a major social problem, so no single organization can cure it Source: Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work, 2012; FSG Interviews and Analysis
• Funders select individual grantees,
organizations compete
• Evaluation attempts to isolate a
particular organization’s impact
• Large scale change is assumed to
depend on scaling organizations
• Sectors are disconnected
Collective Impact Overview
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Five Conditions for Collective Impact
Common Agenda
Shared
Measurement
Mutually Reinforcing
Activities
Continuous
Communication
Backbone
Organization
Collective Impact Overview
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The Collective Impact Approach Can Apply to Solving
Many Complex Social Issues
Education Healthcare
Economic Dev. Youth Development
Homelessness
Community Dev.
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* Indicates FSG Client
Collective Impact Overview
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Effective Collective Impact Requires a Mindset Shift
Technical Solutions
to Problems
Adaptive Solutions
to Problems
Silver Bullet Silver Buckshot
Credit Credibility
Source: Channeling Change: Making Collective
Impact Work, 2012; FSG Interviews and Analysis
Collective Impact Overview
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How to Organize for Collective Impact
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In Catalyzing Social Change, Collective Impact also Depends
on Essential Intangibles for its Success
• Fostering Connections between
People
• The Power of Hope
• Relationship and Trust building
• Leadership Identification and
Development
• Creating a Culture of Learning
Collective Impact’s Intangible Elements
Source: Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work, 2012; FSG Interviews
Organizing for Collective Impact
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Launching a Collective Impact Initiative Has
Three Prerequisites
Financial Resources
• Committed funding partners
• Sustained funding for at least 2-3 years
• Pays for needed infrastructure and planning
Source: Channeling Change: Making Collective
Impact Work, 2012; FSG Interviews and Analysis
Influential Champion
• Commands respect and engages cross-sector leaders
• Focused on solving problem but allows participants to
figure out answers for themselves
Urgency for Change
• Critical problem in the community
• Frustration with existing approaches
• Multiple actors calling for change
• Engaged funders and policy makers
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Organizing for Collective Impact
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In Setting Boundaries for a Project, the Critical Component Is
Determining Where Partners Can Have the Greatest Impact
Organizing for Collective Impact
Setting Boundaries Example: Teen Substance Abuse in Staten Island, New York*
Youth Unemployment
Domestic Violence
Parental & Youth Social Norms
Prevention Activities
Treatment Activities
School Completion
Advocacy
State Level
Local Level
Alcohol
Mental Health
Parental Neglect & Endangerment Access
Prescription Drugs
Methamphetamines
Source: Channeling Change: Making Collective
Impact Work, 2012; FSG Interviews and Analysis
Tobacco
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CI Efforts Tend to Transpire Over Four Phases
Phase IV
Sustain Action
and Impact
Components
for Success
Identify champions
and form cross-
sector group
Create infrastructure
(backbone and
processes)
Convene community
stakeholders
Facilitate community
outreach
Engage community
and build public will
Map the landscape
and use data to
make case
Create common
agenda (common
goals and strategy)
Hold dialogue about
issue, community
context, and available
resources
Facilitate community
outreach specific to
goal
Analyze baseline
data to ID key issues
and gaps
Establish shared
metrics (indicators,
measurement, and
approach)
Facilitate and refine
Continue
engagement and
conduct advocacy
Support
implementation
(alignment to goal
and strategies)
Collect, track, and
report progress
(process to learn and
improve)
Determine if there is
consensus/urgency to
move forward
Phase III
Organize for
Impact
Phase II
Initiate Action
Phase I
Assess Readiness,
Facilitate Dialogue
Governance
and
Infrastructure
Strategic
Planning
Community
Involvement
Evaluation
And
Improvement
Organizing for Collective Impact
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Collective Impact Is Best Structured with Clearly
Defined Cascading Levels of Collaboration
Organizing for Collective Impact
Shared Measures
Backbone
Governance,
Vision and Strategy
Action Planning
Implementation
Public Will
Common Agenda
Steering
Committee
Community Members
Partners
Working Groups
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To Support Progress against the Common Agenda, Backbone
Organizations Engage in Six Important Activities
Backbones must balance the tension between coordinating and maintaining
accountability, while staying behind the scenes to establish collective ownership
Guide Vision and Strategy
Build Public Will
Support Aligned Activities
Mobilize Funding
Establish Shared Measurement Practices
Advance Policy
Source: FSG Interviews and Analysis
Organizing for Collective Impact
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16
There Are a Number of Common Misperceptions about
the Role of Backbone Organizations
• The backbone organization sets the agenda for the group
• The backbone organization drives the solutions
• The backbone organization receives all the funding
• The backbone can be self appointed rather than
selected by the community
• The backbone is “business as usual” in terms of staffing,
time, and resources
Common Misperceptions
Source: FSG Interviews and Analysis
Organizing for Collective Impact
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Thank you for your time!