The Bayside, Glen Eira and Kingston (BGK) LLENS were interested in exploring what the Collective impact model could contribute to their work of brokering strategic partnerships with schools and community to support disengaging or disengaged young people to thrive.
Thank you BGKLLEN for the opportunity for OPEN to deliver an introduction session to your staff and Board of Management on Collective impact – introduction to the framework, key drivers and tools.
The session was really interesting with great comments for the group and growing excitement about the potential value provided by Collective Impact insights and tools.
While place-based strategic partnerships have been delivered for some time in Australia, the Collective impact approach provides a systematic architecture to building and sustaining collective impact initiatives, with particular focus on effective collaborative practice. Of note, this model focuses on collaborative practice, iterative plan-do-review-improve cycles familiar to human centred design and emphasises measurement throughout to clarify intent, assess change and identify learning.
In our view these features build on and address the biggest challenges present in previous place-based partnership work. Collective impact models provide new ways of thinking about these challenges, key enabling features to support success and most importantly a raft of tools to dip in and out of as challenges emerge.
Definition: Collective impact is about making an impact together, working in a structured way, to achieve common goals towards social change (Collective Impact Forum.org)Drivers: Modern complex issues are not addressed by traditional approaches – we need new responses which take a more holistic, systems and client centric perspective
Five key elements
Collective impact is a shift from management (focus on activities and outputs) to movement building through collaboration (focus on collective outcomes). It works towards collaborative mindset and practices – at times our systems can get in the way – we need to actively work on this – it won’t just happen.
What needs to happen?
Check out this video, for a quick snapshot on collective impact!
Things to consider:
Collective Impact Forum – Collective Impact Forum | Home
Tamarack Institute (Canada)
Community Tool Box
Collaboration for Impact has developed an integrated Collaborative Change Cycle that articulates the phases and stages of an effective collaborative change process in the context of collective impact initiatives.
Australia Institute for Family Studies – https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/collective-impact-evidence-and-implications-practice
Centre for Community Child health – “Policy Brief – Place Based Collective Impact: an Australian response to childhood vulnerability 2018 – https://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact