Collaborative Working
Whatever your organisation, if you work in the Voluntary Sector, you are probably finding the current financial climate is making you think about making new decisions regarding financial decisions. The recent change economic situation has meant community and voluntary organisations are actively seeking innovative ways to provide services and make money go further, to develop partnership bids, form consortia, share buildings and back office services.
Collaborative working is the act of working together to reach a common goal and many organisations will see this as a viable option.
It may take different forms;
- Separate organisations maintain their independence, but work jointly on some activities or functions
- Organisations with resources or expertise offer assistance to other organisations eg large national organisation working with a small local group
- A new organisation to do joint work on some activities or functions
- A group structure where a “parent” organisation governs a group of “Subsidiary” organisations
- Merger to form a new organisation working as one body on all activities
To work successfully in collaboration your organisation will need to participate and be committed to;
- Tell it as it is
- Ask each other for support, guidance and help to deliver business outcomes
- Share knowledge and experience
- Seek to understand and anticipate each theirs needs and expectations
- Celebrate the opportunity and value of working together
- Hold each other accountable
- Respect each others business needs
www.bassac.org.uk/our-programmes/collaboration provides a resource developed to guide you through the several stages of supporting a collaborative system of working and provides a framework for organising and planning your support.
Collaborative working has also become a new direction for local public services and local authorities. The Total Place initiative has shown how through bold local leadership and better collaborative working, it is possible to deliver services which meet peoples needs, improve outcomes and deliver better value for money. For more detail www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/total_place_report
"Charities that diversify their funding streams, collaborate with partners and get their income strategy right are more likely to weather the current economic crisis and emerge financially secure on the other side"
Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive, NCVO
Useful links
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/collaborative-working
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