As at December 2011, seventy four grants have been made by the Working Together More fund since its launch in 2009.
The number of organisations collaborating on an initiative may often be more than 10, thus with so many groups working on these initiatives we have had some great feedback and a greater understanding of how collaborations may work. Below for your information is some of the feedback we have received which we hope you will find of value.
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Why do organisations collaborate?
- Prompted by change in funding environment
- Potential to save money/share costs
- To meet a need identified by the community
- A desire to provide better, more effective services and/or extend reach
- A desire to integrate services or reduce duplication
- A desire to share expertise and resources
- A shared vision
- A commitment to collaboration – ‘we were already doing it’ and ‘ it just makes sense’
How were funds spent?
- Hui/Workshops: these were run by several groups to establish objectives, MOU’s, develop systems, discuss potential, organisational values, reduce overlap and refine systems.
- Independent Facilitator /Consultant: Engaging an independent person to facilitate workshops or to drive an initiative was a way for all groups to participate equally in the process. Many groups considered it essential to bring in outside/expert knowledge to challenge ‘group think’ and remain impartial and objective.
It is hard to keep collaboration on the radar when it is on top of your normal work load. Thus consultants were valued for their ability to assist with the process, give advice or set up systems.
What worked?
- The funding provided groups with the resources to bring in skilled people to assist and equally as important allowed groups time out from their normal activities to really explore options and issues. This usually resulted in groups emerging stronger, more cohesive and effective.
- Regardless of the outcome, all groups reported a better understanding of organisations in their community and improved communications and willingness to work together.
What did not work?
- Patch Protection – while the idea of collaboration seemed great on paper the reality made some people feel threatened and anxious about losing the uniqueness of their organisation.
- Managing Change – resistance to change or a strong belief that things were okay the way they were slowed the process for some initiatives or changed strategies in others.
- Time – most groups underestimated the time needed for an initiative. For some the lack of time or funds to commit to an initiative caused the initiative to stall.
What was learnt about collaboration?
- Never assume you are all ‘on the same page’; we found we didn’t even have a common understanding of what our purpose was, so had to go right back to square 1!
- Keep an open mind and allow others to challenge your ideas, processes, etc;
- Be willing to work in the best interests of the group/clients/objective of what you are trying to achieve, no matter what the short term disruption/damage may be.
- It’s hard to keep collaboration on the radar when it ‘on top of’ your normal work
- Developing teams takes time
- Collaboration is complex and different every time
- Decision making tends to be slower and more cautious
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