Thanks Kerry, Liz and Mark for a powerful and insightful piece that highlights the importance of culture and context when addressing the imbalances of power which is a necessity in successfully implementing Collective Impact
Thanks for this article. I studied Collective Impact 7 years ago
And continue to implement the key theories and approaches in my
My work. I was so interested in the article and how you
Identified the challenges of power sharing within Australia
Due to our historical power structures. I think it would also
Be good to look through a gender lens as Australia still
Has management positions dominated by males. Collaboration
Is a very different aspect and intention to negotiation which
Is still the normal management process in Australia.
Also I would like to address the self appointed backbone issue that
I have witnessed in a particular Collective Impact initiative
I have collaborated with. From my understanding of the work
The backbone group should be appointed by the broader community
You are working with?
I am so intrigued by this thoughtful analysis and now I want to explore why CI has not taken off among Indigenous groups here in the same way (as far as I know - certainly not in BC). There are initiatives that have indigenous partners of course and lots of tables where Nations are collaborating with each other and invited government partners, however my sense is that overall our inter-sectoral and collective impact types of activities are still pretty white and western in their process and how they are managed. CI has not taken hold there for some reason. I would love to know more about CI efforts here that are genuinely grounded in two eyed seeing. My sense is that the model could be adapted to support transformational leadership skills and claiming and holding authority in different ways. Thanks for this CFI!
A fascinating account and analysis of institutional challenges with healthy pragmatism that is grounded in values creating change in the conditions that support entrenched power relations or the capture of collaboration for institutional purposes - love to chat more about your approach and the role of discourse language in policy and government in Aust which based on my recent PhD research creates real challenge s for collective impact and place based initiatives
Thanks for all the helpful comments and insights. Helen, you raise important points about the gender dynamics in Collective Impact and the dominant paradigm of ‘management’ rather than ‘collaboration. Many CI initiatives have ‘appointed’ backbones as opposed to being community determined which has required a retrofitting to ensure community are leading the agenda. The success of this is mixed with conditions never being ideal. Funders/govt play a key role in influencing this dynamic by backing or supporting a particular entity as a backbone rather than it emerging from the community. Greater awareness of the power dynamics & impacts this kind of intervention creates is called for.
COMMENTS
BY Sylvia Cheuy
ON December 20, 2021 08:40 AM
Thanks Kerry, Liz and Mark for a powerful and insightful piece that highlights the importance of culture and context when addressing the imbalances of power which is a necessity in successfully implementing Collective Impact
BY Helen Long
ON January 5, 2022 03:28 PM
Thanks for this article. I studied Collective Impact 7 years ago
And continue to implement the key theories and approaches in my
My work. I was so interested in the article and how you
Identified the challenges of power sharing within Australia
Due to our historical power structures. I think it would also
Be good to look through a gender lens as Australia still
Has management positions dominated by males. Collaboration
Is a very different aspect and intention to negotiation which
Is still the normal management process in Australia.
Also I would like to address the self appointed backbone issue that
I have witnessed in a particular Collective Impact initiative
I have collaborated with. From my understanding of the work
The backbone group should be appointed by the broader community
You are working with?
BY Michelle Colussi
ON January 6, 2022 10:08 AM
I am so intrigued by this thoughtful analysis and now I want to explore why CI has not taken off among Indigenous groups here in the same way (as far as I know - certainly not in BC). There are initiatives that have indigenous partners of course and lots of tables where Nations are collaborating with each other and invited government partners, however my sense is that overall our inter-sectoral and collective impact types of activities are still pretty white and western in their process and how they are managed. CI has not taken hold there for some reason. I would love to know more about CI efforts here that are genuinely grounded in two eyed seeing. My sense is that the model could be adapted to support transformational leadership skills and claiming and holding authority in different ways. Thanks for this CFI!
BY Jo Ruffin
ON January 8, 2022 04:02 PM
A fascinating account and analysis of institutional challenges with healthy pragmatism that is grounded in values creating change in the conditions that support entrenched power relations or the capture of collaboration for institutional purposes - love to chat more about your approach and the role of discourse language in policy and government in Aust which based on my recent PhD research creates real challenge s for collective impact and place based initiatives
BY ELIZABETH SKELTON
ON January 17, 2022 04:16 PM
Thanks for all the helpful comments and insights. Helen, you raise important points about the gender dynamics in Collective Impact and the dominant paradigm of ‘management’ rather than ‘collaboration. Many CI initiatives have ‘appointed’ backbones as opposed to being community determined which has required a retrofitting to ensure community are leading the agenda. The success of this is mixed with conditions never being ideal. Funders/govt play a key role in influencing this dynamic by backing or supporting a particular entity as a backbone rather than it emerging from the community. Greater awareness of the power dynamics & impacts this kind of intervention creates is called for.
BY ELIZABETH SKELTON
ON January 17, 2022 04:21 PM
Thanks Jo. Would love further exploration of the challenges created by policy and language. Please get in touch.