COLLABORATION 101 :

1. COLLABORATION 101: AKA The Art of Collaboration

2. SESSION PURPOSE To provide participants with the basic information needed to successfully link services with other community child and family services To provide participants with the skills needed to improve coordination and delivery of child and family services in communities.

3. SESSION AGENDA • Overview of Session • What is Collaboration? • Pre-Collaboration Assessment • The Collaborative Process • Partnership Success Principles • Wrap Up

4. ACTIVITY MY HOME IS MY CASTLE • Why is your home your castle? • Why is this important to you? • Why would I want to come live with you at your house? • What would be the benefits to me? • What would be the challenges if I came to live with you?

5. COLLABORATION IS … Collaboration is the most intense level of working together. It is a structure & a process for creating CHANGE. A collaborative effort is driven by partners who agree to share information, activities, resources, influence, power & decision-making authority to achieve common goals – goals that no single partner or program could achieve by acting alone. From Community Partnerships Working Together, US DHHS

6. BARRIERS/SANDTRAPS • Turf-ism • History of unresolved conflict/Hidden agendas • Lack of communication • Lack of clear purpose • Lack of leadership • Ineffective inter- OR intra- agency structures • Resistance to change • Lack of time/resources • Conflicting requirements • Parents/Staff not involved in decisions • Unequal distribution of work/recognition • No clear ground rules

7. BENEFITS TO COLLABORATION • Increased access to additional services for children & families • Full day/year • Continuity of care • Expanding services in cost effective manner • Serving a wider range of children • Improving quality • Reaching new communities • Providing more flexibility • Strengthening local community systems

8. COLLABORATION SKILLS:PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION • Relationships created by communication. • Intrapersonal communication is a major factor affecting interpersonal communication. • Relationships should be defined by both persons. • Each is 100% responsible for nature of the relationship. • Relationships change when communication changes. • To change a relationship requires persistence. • Most options = the best odds of getting what is wanted. • Communication is most effective when it reflects intentions for the relationship.

9. COLLABORATION SKILLS: COMMUNICATION … WHAT LANGUAGE ARE YOU SPEAKING? • Cross program/cross agency language barriers, i.e., use of acronyms • Articulation of agency mission, goals, and philosophy • Active listening • Research • Written, verbal, and body • Ongoing

10. COLLABORATION SKILLS:NEGOTIATION A WORD ABOUT POWER: • Negative & positive uses • Same characteristics can be negative or positive • Sunshine/Shadow Charisma – winning/beguiling Expertise – apply & share/withhold Persuasion – convincing/bullying Position/”turf” – knowing boundaries or demanding control

11. COLLABORATION SKILLS: NEGOTIATING COMMON GROUND • POSITIONS = regulations, beliefs, demands • INTERESTS = what you care about, concerns, what matters • MUST come to middle/common ground

12. COLLABORATION SKILLS: NEGOTIATING COMMON GROUND

13. COLLABORATION SKILLS:NEGOTIATION WHEN NEGOTIATING: • Honor the relationship • Be realistic & fair • Know your bottom line • Come prepared to commit resources • Explain what you’re doing • Engage in active listening

14. COLLABORATION SKILLS: NEGOTIATION • Work toward a group outcome • Work toward the Mission, not self-interest • Facilitate – don’t manipulate • Take a fresh look at practices & standards – remember the difference between positions/interests • Take PLENTY of TIME to get it right!

15. INTRA-AGENCY PRE-ASSESSMENT LOOKING INWARD: • HOW ARE WE DOING ON OUR OWN? Look at own mission, integration, evaluation • DO WE NEED TO CHANGE? What needs to change & how? What’s in it for you? LOOKING OUTWARD: • HOW WELL ARE WE CONNECTED? How connected & where • HOW READY ARE WE TO COLLABORATE? Common vision, how strong are connections?

16. STAGE 1:Getting Together MILESTONES • DECIDING TO ACT • SELECTING PARTNERS • SET GROUND RULES • EVALUATE/CELEBRATE

17. DECIDING TO ACT • HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR PRE-ASSESSMENT WORK? • HAVE YOU DETERMINED A NEED & FOCUS FOR COLLABORATING? • THEN, YOU’RE READY TO MOVE ON …

18. SELECTING PARTNERS CONSIDER: • Who you know/share a positive relationship • Who you need • Who has the expertise & skills you need • Diversity • Power – who has it/what do you need • Who can block it • Who will be affected • How big should the group be - numbers

19. SETTING GROUND RULES DISCUSS/DECIDE: • Meetings: when, where, how often, who does agenda, • Rules to guide decision-making • Rules to protect confidentiality • Responsibilities • Length of time • How to resolve conflict • How to keep records, gather data, share information • How to evaluate work

20. STAGE 2:Building Trust & Ownership MILESTONES • Engage Partners • Build Common Base of Knowledge • Develop Shared Vision • Revisit & Revise Ground Rules • ID Planning Resources • Evaluate/Celebrate

21. ENGAGING PARTNERS BUILD TRUST/OWNERSHIP WITH PARTNERS BY: • Face to face individual meetings • Visit them on their “turf,” at their “home” • Share information & tentative “dream” • Clear the air • DON’T apply pressure

22. BUILD A BASE OF KNOWLEDGE BUILD TRUST/OWNERSHIP WITH KNOWLEDGE BY: • Work to understand self-interest & personal similarities & differences • Apply no PRESSURE • Accept divergent point of view • Presume the positive • Avoid “1 right answer” thinking

23. BUILD BASE OF KNOWLEDGE (continued) • Encourage risk taking • Figure out what’s in it for them! • Share information about your services, program culture, etc. Find out about theirs. • Focus on their skills • Clear the air • Think and act “win-win” • TAKE YOUR TIME

24. DEFINING A SHARED VISION • VISION = Clear picture of what you hope to create. SHARED VISION SHOULD: • Get partners to “knit” own visions into ONE • Focus on possibilities for children & families • Generate energy & motivation • Tell everyone where collaborative is going

25. ACTIVITY DREAM HOUSE • How does the group dream house compare to your own dream house? • What was hard about the process? • What did you notice about behaviors during the activity that helped/hindered it? • What would have made it better?

26. In Stage 2, don’t forget to: • Assess the group to ensure there is commitment to the collaboration & the Vision. • Revisit your Ground Rules – revise & renegotiate until all partners are satisfied. • ID planning resources before you move into the planning of Stage 3.

27. STAGE 3:Developing a Strategic Plan MILESTONES • Develop a Mission • Environmental & Capacity Assessment • Establish Goals & Strategies • Write Plan of Action • Evaluate & Celebrate

28. DEVELOP THE MISSION MISSION = captures the SHARED VISION, UNIQUE PURPOSE & VALUES of the collaboration, and should: • State the direction, rationale & what will be achieved by the collaboration • Describe what (will be accomplished) & for whom • Suggest the scope of work – how big, how many/much • Convey the Vision • Be easy to UNDERSTAND and REMEMBER • Not include the “how-to’s” for achieving results

29. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Consider: • Economic/population changes • Funding trends • Political & social forces • Laws/regulations • Policies/procedures • Existing collaborations • Share info about these & impact on the collab • What other needs? What is happening in the community that will affect your plan? 1. 2. 3. 4.

30. CAPACITY ASSESSMENT • Central Question: Does the collaboration have the ability to accomplish its mission? • Review the Environmental Analysis & prioritize which factors will have the greatest impact on the collaboration • Discuss strengths each partner brings individually & collectively to the collaboration • Discuss/list what is lacking. • Consider benefits of collaborative action & what might happen if you take no action in the immediate future

31. ESTABLISH WELL-FORMED GOALS • GOAL = specific statement of what collaborative partners intend to do. • GOALS ARE … • Indicators of what partners want to achieve • Measures for evaluating a collaboration’s progress • Measures for holding partners accountable

32. GOALS (continued) • LONG TERM GOALS – results partners hope to see in 2-3 or more years • SHORT TERM GOALS – focus on more specific, immediate results In developing GOALS, use the following: • Does the goal focus on the positive? • Is it realistic & achievable? • Can it be measured? • Is it clear & specific?

33. GOALS (continued) & AFTER GOALS: 1. 2. 3. 4. AFTER goals are decided: • Compare them to the environmental analysis & capacity assessment • If large gaps are found – revise the goals until gaps are minimized

34. SELECT STRATEGIES • Brainstorm strategies or routes to achieve goals • Look at potential impacts, benefits & costs of each • Select those that are feasible • Review Mission & see if strategies fit GOAL 1: • Strategy 1 • Strategy 2 • Strategy 3 GOAL 2: • Strategy 1 • Strategy 2 • Strategy 3

35. DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION • Map out actions to implement strategies • Decide who will take responsibility for each action • Set target dates for completing each action • Decide on accountability/evaluation measures or standards • Prepare a budget

36. CASE STUDIES There are 5 case studies. Case Studies 1 & 2: A Partnership at Work 2 different perspectives Case Study 3: Discord in Harmony Case Studies 4 & 5: Metro-City Head Start Scenes 1 & 2 In groups of 5-7, take 30 minutes to review, discuss & answer the questions.

37. STAGE 4Taking Action MILESTONES • Written Agreement • Implement Plan of Action • Adapt/Expand • Monitor & Evaluate • Celebrate

38. COMPONENTS OF A WRITTEN AGREEMENT • Identity/legal status of signers. • Period of agreement. • Scope/Vision. • Statement of performance/services/plan. • Compliance with regulations. • Financial agreement/payment procedures. • Prior approval requirements/authority. • Management. • Equipment/materials ownership.

39. AGREEMENT COMPONENTS (CON’T.) • Liability/Insurance. • Record Keeping/Confidentiality. • Monitoring/Evaluation. • Public/Community Relations. • Conflict of Interest/Prohibited Activities. • Changes/Amendments. • Dispute Resolution. • Renewal/Termination. • Contact Person. • Signatures.

40. WRITTEN AGREEMENTS: REMEMBER, it is always advised to consult an attorney!

41. WHY A WRITTEN AGREEMENT? • To write & agree to shared vision • To write & agree to goals, strategies – plan • To spell out results • To spell out responsibilities • To spell out services • To define partnership management • To commit to “what,” “when,” & “how” • To hold people accountable • For audit & legal purposes • To provide “escape” in case of failure • To commit resources • For monitoring & evaluation

42. OPERATIONAL TIPS – ASK: • Is the Written Agreement in place? • Has the case management & record keeping system been revised? • Are there policies & procedures in place? • Is there a system for access to needed records & information? • Are confidentiality protocols in place & understood? • Does the database include the collaboration?

43. OPERATIONAL TIPS – ASK: • Does the collaboration team meet regularly? • Are communication systems used effectively? • Is conflict appropriately addressed? • Have job descriptions been revised? • Is there a collaboration manager with appropriate support/authority? • Are we doing cross training?

44. OPERATIONAL TIPS, ASK: • Have the goals been communicated effectively? • Is the team regularly assessing progress on the plan? • Is data being collected & analyzed? • Are team members following through? • Is the community aware of the collaboration? • Are you evaluating for outcomes?

45. EVALUATION • Evaluation is an ongoing process • Tells how well the strategies are working • Guides changes/modifications to the plan • DOES NOT need to be complex • Find out what’s working & what’s not • Fix what’s not

46. EVALUATING EFFORT ASK: • Are our efforts achieving our Mission? • What environmental factors have inhibited or helped? • Do we need new partners? • Is our Plan being implemented?

47. EVALUATING EFFECTIVENESS ASK: • Are we reaching the right people? • Are we making an impact? • What are the child/family outcomes? • What’s different? • What happened that we didn’t expect? • Is our Plan still appropriate?

48. EVALUATING EFFICIENCY ASK: • Are our goals attainable? Are they being attained? • Are our resources sufficient? • Are we making the best use of our talents & strengths? • What can we do to be more efficient?

49. PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS PRINCIPLES • TAKE YOUR TIME – DEVELOP THE PARTNERSHIP • DRAW FROM STRENGTHS OF ALL • OPENNESS, HONESTY, MUTUAL RESPECT • ATMOSPHERE OF POSITIVE THINKING • RECOGNIZE & SEEK EXCELLENCE

50. PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS PRINCIPLES • HOLD TO THE VISION • ABIDE BY RULES • HONOR AGREEMENTS • SYSTEMS-FOCUSED APPROACH • ADAPT TO CHANGE • HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR!