Collaboration: the whys and wherefores, the pros and the cons

Jon Goodwin

Pentagon Partnership

Contents • Context - Collaboration in the current climate

• Collaboration: what do we mean and how can it help?

• Drawbacks

• What helps? Key issues to address

• Support

Context - Collaboration in the current climate

• Reduced overall funding – need to make savings

• Contract culture – reduced grant funding

– Fewer, larger contracts (geographically and thematically)

• Big Society – third sector involvement in public services (design and delivery)

Collaboration: what do we mean?

Making things Better Together by:

• Selling together

• Buying together

• Influencing together

• Working together

Selling together

Responding to funding and business opportunities

• Grants

• “Fewer, larger” contracts

• Often the initial driver of collaboration

• Collaboration between small organisations or between large and small?

Buying together • Buying power and sharing of resources

• Purchasing together

• Sharing services

• Sharing staff

• Co-location

• Economies of scale and efficiency savings

• Attractive to funders

Influencing together • Influencing policy, strategy and funding

• Evidence and intelligence

• Joined up thinking and a coherent voice – powerful

• Influencing service priorities and service design

• Influencing service and funding structures

Working together

• Networking – sharing good practice and intelligence

• Referrals – joined up services

• Better co-ordination & quality of services

• Better reach

Drawbacks

• Equality between partners

• Loss of identity?

• Culture clashes – differing values, cultures

• Risk – financial, reputational?

• It takes time and money up front before you feel the benefits

What helps?• Clearly defined aim - vision and focus

• Leadership – an organisation(s) prepared to drive things forward

• Support – if possible from outside the partnership

• Equality between partners

• Positive experiences in existing networks and relationships

• Buy-in from the right people

• Getting the right results – soon if possible!

So... Key Issues to address• Identifying the aim(s)

• Roles and responsibilities – who is going to drive this forward?

• Developing trust and agreeing values

• Clarity around structures and processes, responsibilities and decision-making, ground rules and protocols

• Write all of this down!

• Model - informal network, lead agency or new hub?

• Get external support if possible

Support and information

Locality: Connect For

http://locality.org.uk/projects/connectfor/

NCVO Collaborative working project

www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/collaborative-working

Better Together

Francesca@childrenengland.org.uk

Your local CVS?