Collaboration benefits
How to make partnership civil?
Community Matters Conference Hinckley, 27th September 2008
Why collaborate?
• Two heads can be better than one!
• Many hands can make light work!
• Stronger Together!
History
• Informal working together• Crisis driven; lack of personnel, resources,
funds• External pressure e.g. partnership bids• Enforced mergers
Why is bassac working on collaboration?
• Environment - Community organisations excluded from contracting processes
• Structural - Lack of specialist capacity, over reliance on volunteers/pro-bono, multi-task diverting from main business/improving services
• Collaboration - a way forward?
Forms of Collaboration
• Informal Group - open membership, networking/information exchange
• Cluster - defined membership, collaborative action/collective/largely informal but strong
• Consortium/Partnership- closed membership, specific outputs, contractual /formal structures, formally agreed roles
SWiM learning
• Clusters developed habit of collaboration • Have clearer understanding of what is
needed to make partnership work• Members have been galvanised to think
strategically as a group• Pilots left legacy of collaborative
development
What is the Collaboration NSS?
• The Collaboration Benefits Programme• A collaboration between 4
organisations• Developing capacity of
infrastructure/support providers to reduce costs and enhance service delivery
Who’s involved?• bassac (lead partner)• IVAR - Institute for Voluntary Action
Research• ACRE - Action with Communities in Rural
England• CFN - Community Foundation Network• CES - Charities Evaluation Services
(critical friend)
What is the programme?
• Resources - Collection & dissemination of good practice
• Skills - Training and developing support providers
• Action - Developing and testing innovative collaborations
Resources
• Collecting cluster evidence• Collating into a well structured
national evidence database• Disseminating through accessible
online resource, information/advice, publications
Skills
• Seminar programme - to raise awareness of collaborative support
• Train the Trainer programme - to build capacity of 20 training providers
• Cascade training programme - to enable wider infrastructure to support collaboration with their constituency
Who is targeted?
• Community development staff from community organisations
• People who support frontline voluntary and community sector organisations
• Local infrastructure organisations• Regional infrastructure bodies
Action
• Cluster Development• Working with established clusters• Helping to develop new/innovative clusters• Facilitation to achieve a shared purpose• Evaluation
Potential clusters • Develop joint back office functions • Develop and deliver joint services• Working within communities of
place• Develop bulk purchasing between
organisations• Develop joint tenders for service
delivery• Development of joint voice and
advocacy functions
Potential clusters (contd)• Local infrastructure partnerships
working collaboratively to meet local frontline needs
• Regional infrastructure partnerships working to meet local infrastructure organisational needs
• Development of cross-sectoral partnerships to support Local Area Agreements
• Working in Local Strategic Partnerships• Working with commissioning officers in
design and implementation of services• Tackling environmental issues together
What makes a productive partnership
• Mutual trust and understanding • Clearly defined and shared aims/objectives• Effective leadership• Partner ownership and commitment• Agreed and observed roles/responsibilities/
decision-making processes• Good communication, feedback & review
Contact us:
email : [email protected]
tel : 0845 241 0375
website:bassac.org.uk/collaboration
THANK YOU!