i team

Community Collaborations
A Critical Service

Enhancing a community’s social capital—the social networks, norms of reciprocity, mutual assistance, and societal values—is a worthy goal of many nonprofit organizations, community agencies, service and civic clubs, and municipal government. Meeting society’s needs often requires community partners to come together, forming collaborations with common goals to change something or make something better. Managing collaborations is one of the i team’s critical services.

Collaboration offers communities a tool to help them improve themselves by joining together in creative ways to tackle neighborhood concerns, such as recreation, housing, crime, poverty, and education.

Often a daunting task, creating, building, and managing comprehensive collaborations requires more than just willing parties; successful collaborative partnerships require guidance, counsel, and experienced direction. i team brings these offerings to the table.

The i team uses this definition of collaboration: a mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve common goals. The relationship includes a commitment to mutual relationships and objectives; a jointly developed structure and shared responsibilities; mutual authority and accountability for success; and sharing of resources and rewards.

The i team employs a general collaboration matrix consisting of twenty critical success factors, grouped into six categories:

Environment

History of collaboration
Legitimacy
Favorable climate

Membership Characteristics

Mutual respect, understanding and trust
Diversity of members
Collaboration seen as self-interest
Ability to compromise

Process and Structure

Members share a stake in the outcome
Multiple layers of participation
Flexibility
Clear roles & policies
Adaptability
Appropriate pace

Communication

Open and frequent communication
Informal relationships and communication links

Purpose

Concrete, attainable goals and objectives
Shared vision
Unique purpose

Resources

Sufficient funds, staff, materials, and time
Skilled leadership and experienced counsel