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 : Collaboration@bassac.org.uk

tel : 0845 241 0375

website:bassac.org.uk/collaboration

THANK YOU!