Transcript Skylark
Collaboration Workshop 8 January 2015 Material used and outputs produced Collaboration Workshop 1 Skylark contact details Graham Whitney [email protected] 07802 232960 Linda Boucher [email protected] 07802 213426 http://www.skylarknetwork.org.uk 2 Collaboration Workshop 7th January 2015 Surrey Community Action (SCA) hosted a free Collaboration Workshop attended by approximately 20 charities. The workshop was led by Skylark, a pro-bono consultancy which focuses on helping charities to achieve their objectives by collaborating with other charities. The rest of the pack details; 1. The outputs of the breakout sessions • Barriers to collaboration • Actions to be taken by; The Voluntary Organisations (individual charities) The Voluntary Sector (tier 2/ membership organisations…..eg SCA) Statutory bodies (eg local authority) 2. The material presented 3 Outputs from the Breakout session 4 Workshop Outputs Barriers listed by all groups Theme Barriers HOW TO COLLABORATE? • • • • • TIME COMMITTMENT • Lack of time due to day-to-day pressures • What is in it for us? • Too time consuming • Day job gets in the way • Limited resources • Always short of time – can’t do more LEADERSHIP/ ENGAGEMENT • Lack of Trustee engagement • Getting buy-in from Trustees and staff • Trustees being open and sharing • Who to take the responsibility and lead it? • Abdication of control • Strategic misalignment between board and executive WHO TO COLLABORATE WITH? • Really being aware of other suitable organisations • Concern about hidden agendas – is this going to ultimately become a merger? • Finding someone with the same shared aims/ vision or will they be culturally incompatible • • • • COMPETITION • Competitive tendering • Natural competitiveness • Competition for funding • Trust of shared goals • Confidentiality issues about sharing information – competitive information • Reputation risks – what if the other organisation gets something wrong and this affects our brand/ reputation • Sharing ideas • • • Gaining agreement on objectives and outcomes Finding mutual ground – conflicting priorities Fear of loss of identity • Personal motivation – will my role remain? • Loss of organisation identity/ brand • Fear of the unknown • It is change! Don’t like change! • Risk of failure • Financial risk – quantifying and accepting costs • Sharing commercial information before proper agreement • Reduced statutory funding • Impact on staff • Threat to our organisation and staff TRUST PERSONAL ISSUES RISKS Don’t know how to collaborate? How to move forward? Lack of expertise Should we collaborate or be in partnership? The difference? Uncertain about communicating vision to others…staff, trustees How to broach the subject with other charities? • • • • Visualising the future and articulating it Having the right support Cost of support Preparing a plan and sticking to it Lack of easy contact details Identifying who Only going for the one’s you know and then stopping A big difference between the sizes of organisation is a concern 5 Workshop Outputs Actions to encourage/ drive collaboration Actions to be completed by the Voluntary organisation itself 1. Determine why you want to collaborate and with whom? 2. Look to who your staff are already working with and build from there 3. Get external support to explore collaboration • • Helps to implement change Provides expertise 4. Determine whether this is to be CEO or Chair of Trustee instigated in your organisation • Ensure links between both CEOs, both Chairs and both sets of Trustees 5. Network: at all levels • • • CEOs Trustees Staff 6. Encourage proactive Trustees 7. Look at it from the beneficiaries perspective 8. Generate a plan and NDA for sensitive information 9. Hold local meetings/ small group meetings share maps of who they know 10. Identify opportunities to collaborate 11. Focus on what you want to achieve 12. Meet with others, be open minded, take time 13. Trustees complete their ‘ambassadorial role’ 14. Strategic recruitment of Trustees – cross fertilise, rotate through roles not in silos 6 Workshop Outputs Actions to encourage/ drive collaboration Actions to be completed by the Voluntary sector organisations/ bodies 1. Make opportunities for charities to network 2. Provide support • • • • Expert input if needed Information Process/ methods Be a broker 3. Suggest possible collaboration groups (1 to1 or 1 to many) 4. Facilitate information sharing • Be the confidential ‘middle man’ 5. Provide Trustee training on collaboration and change programmes • • Explain advantages Examples of success 6. Network at all levels • • • • VCO CEO’s and Trustees Statutory bodies Other member groups Map like-minded, similar sized charities Move to be less fragmented, less local. Get better at working together 7. Provide advice on risk • • • Contract giver + bidder Risk sharing Responsibilities 8. Establish a focal point/ centre of excellence • • • • Addresses including same sector lists Publicise successes Facilitation Communicate joint bidding opportunities 7 Workshop Outputs Actions to encourage/ drive collaboration Actions to be completed by the Statutory bodies 1. Stop commissioning ALL tenders as competitive – this is anti-collaboration! 2. Cut all the ‘red tape’ to do with collaborative working and positively state ‘you welcome collaborative tenders” 3. Re-engineer funding to support collaborative bids 8 Presentation material 9 Collaboration Workshop 8 January 2015 Collaboration Workshop 10 Workshop Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. What is collaboration? Why collaborate? How to collaborate? • Drawing on Skylark experience and practical learning 3. Small group working session • Overcoming the barriers to collaboration 4. Group feedback and summary 5. Close and Networking lunch 11 What is collaboration? What is the scope of collaboration? Merger The House of Collaboration FRONT OFFICE BACK OFFICE Policy / Advocacy / ‘Voice’ / Lobbying Joint bidding Joint delivery Fund-raising / Marketing Training / Property / HR / Finance / IT Information or resource sharing Contacts and relationship building Source: Skylark 12 What is collaboration? What type of collaboration? Merger The House of Collaboration FRONT OFFICE 46% of charities are engaged in collaboration 6% Policy / Advocacy / ‘Voice’ / Lobbying Joint bidding 7% BACK OFFICE Joint delivery Fund-raising / Marketing 10% 15% Training / Property / HR / Finance / IT 39% Information or resource sharing 34% Contacts and relationship building X % of charities engaged in specific type of collaboration Source: Skylark; Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 2 13 What is collaboration? The spectrum of collaboration arrangements Ranging from formal to informal arrangements Spectrum FORMAL Merger Partnership Service Level Agreement Resource sharing 83% informal Networks Interest groups INFORMAL Type of collaboration The transfer or combination of assets and liabilities of two or more separate organisations Creating a separate organisation to provide services or Legally formed partnership Collaboration between two or more organisations specifying in detail what each party will do Idea sharing, Joint research and development, Joint training Sharing a building or office space Functional operational sharing Buying groups Umbrella organisations and membership organisations Lobbying groups Fundraising groups Working together Various forms of working arrangements Source: A Practical Guide to Collaborative Working, CollaborationNI 14 Why collaborate? The main reasons for working in collaboration The benefits obtained from charities’ collaborative activities (%) Services maintained/ developed/ improved Enhanced reputation/ public support Increased number of beneficiaries reached Access new skills/ expertise/ information Reduced costs/ saved money Greater impact by working with other charities More coordinated approach Increased access to funding opportunities More holistic service/ offering Avoided duplication of service Improved staff/ volunteer recruitment or retention Allowed charity to focus on core activity 10 Source: Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 6 20 30 40 15 Why collaborate? The size of the prize A combination of short term pain and future opportunity will give a full “Size of the prize” Current Immediate Immediate pain pain Future Size of prize opportunity Future Problem Source: Skylark Opportunity 16 Why collaborate? The size of the prize Prompts to collaborate …………Immediate pain • • • • • • Wanted to help another charity in difficulties (30%) Improve services and/or reduce duplication (27%) Improve efficiency/ reduce costs (21%) Develop/ sustain income streams (18%) Lack of funding to deliver services (12%) Meet requirements of funding/ commissioning (8%) Current Immediate Immediate pain pain Future opportunity Future Size of prize Problem Source: Skylark; Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 5 Opportunity 17 Why collaborate? The size of the prize Current Immediate Immediate pain pain Future opportunity Future Size of prize Problem Opportunity Prompts to collaborate …….Future opportunity • • • • Access additional skills/ knowledge (24%) Deliver services in a more holistic way (23%) Access additional facilities/ equipment (18%) Increased impact of our campaigns (15%) Source: Skylark; Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 5 18 How to collaborate? Leadership and Strategic fit The Top 3 factors contributing to successful collaboration are related to; • degree of compatibility/ strategic fit • quality of leadership Strategic fit Successful collaboration requires board engagement and full leadership commitment Is the collaboration in line with our aims, objectives and values? Leadership Source: Skylark; Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 12a 19 How to collaborate? Map your landscape - an example from sobus Government Government Policy & Funding Tri-borough funding Funders Infrastructure and Sector National infrastructure groups National Sector groups Other Infrastructure funders Other 2nd tier infrastructure providers Regional /Sector umbrella groups H&F charities and voluntary organisations H&F beneficiaries - individuals Beneficiaries National Other Funders - commissioning bodies Regional infrastructure groups Charities and Voluntary Organisations Source: Skylark H&F local authority Regional H&F Other Service Providers Other charities & voluntary organisations Outside H&F beneficiaries Outside 20 How to collaborate? Map your landscape - an example from sobus Government Government Policy & Funding Tri-borough funding Funders Infrastructure and Sector National infrastructure groups Eg NCVO, Community Matters National Sector groups Eg MIND Other Infrastructure funders Eg City Bridge Trust Big Lottery Regional infrastructure groups Eg LVSC Other 2nd tier infrastructure providers Regional /Sector umbrella groups H&F charities and voluntary organisations Eg Banooda Aid H&F beneficiaries - individuals Beneficiaries National Regional Other Funders - commissioning bodies Eg CCG, Corporations Social Investments Big Lottery, ESF, Trust Funds Other Service Providers Eg KCSC, HFVC Eg DESTA Charities and Voluntary Organisations Source: Skylark H&F local authority H&F Other charities & voluntary organisations Eg Family Friends Outside H&F beneficiaries Outside 21 Skylark How to collaborate? Charity Support Network The Skylark Collaboration Framework A four stage approach to collaboration within the charity sector I Stage II Strategy Why collaborate? Who to collaborate with? Type of collaboration Mapping the territory III Feasibility Exploring benefits and risks of collaborating. What opportunity would collaboration deliver both parties? At what cost? IV Operate & Review Plan Detailed planning How will the charities collaborate? Implement the agreed plan, review and measure short and long term benefits. Formal due diligence? Making it work Are the charities’ cultures compatible? Engaging the key stakeholders Collaboration strategy agreed Agreement in principle to collaborate (one or many parties) Signed agreement and Collaboration Plan Collaboration benefit secured Source: Skylark 22 How to collaborate? Areas of collaborative working support required Organisations were asked to identify the areas of support they would benefit from Type of support % Career guidance for senior staff affected by change 23 Support through the legal process 21 One-to-one support for key staff and leaders 20 Facilitated discussions 20 Mentoring from individuals with experience of collaboration 20 Tailored training for senior staff and board members on collaborative working 20 One-day workshop on the practicalities of collaborative working 18 Networking with other organisations 17 Toolkits and advice 17 Source: A Practical Guide to Collaborative Working, CollaborationNI 23 How to collaborate? Areas of collaborative working support required Surrey Community Action can coordinate support on collaboration Type of support % Career guidance for senior staff affected by change 23 Support through the legal process 21 One-to-one support for key staff and leaders 20 Facilitated discussions 20 Mentoring from individuals with experience of collaboration 20 Tailored training for senior staff and board members on collaborative working 20 One-day workshop on the practicalities of collaborative working 18 Networking with other organisations 17 Toolkits and advice 17 RED text indicates where Skylark can offer support Source: Skylark; A Practical Guide to Collaborative Working, CollaborationNI 24 How to collaborate? Lessons learnt in collaborative working 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Clarify why you should collaborate Identify clearly what is to be achieved by collaboration Assess the potential risks and barriers Choose the appropriate model and level of collaboration from across the spectrum of collaboration arrangements which ranges from informal alliances up to a merger Plan the process in a transparent manner Ensure sufficient time is set aside Ensure the process is driven by strong leadership Seek specialist advice to facilitate the various stages of the process. Source: A Practical Guide to Collaborative Working, CollaborationNI 25 Workshop Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. What is collaboration? Why collaborate? How to collaborate? • Drawing on Skylark experience and practical learning 3. Small group working session • Overcoming the barriers to collaboration 4. Group feedback and summary 5. Close and Networking lunch 26 Break out/ ‘buzz group’ working session Each group has 30 minutes to; 1. Brainstorm the barriers to collaboration (5 mins) • Capture them on post-it notes on a the flip chart 2. Determine positive actions to overcome the barriers (23 mins) • Detail the actions under 3 headings on the flip chart depending upon who can / should complete the action Voluntary Organisations (individual charities…..YOU!!) The Voluntary Sector (tier 2/ membership organisations…..eg SCA) Statutory bodies (eg local authority) 3. Which actions would you welcome support to complete? (2 mins) • Annotate with a star ……and will feedback their findings in plenary 27 Workshop Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. What is collaboration? Why collaborate? How to collaborate? • Drawing on Skylark experience and practical learning 3. Small group working session • Overcoming the barriers to collaboration 4. Group feedback and summary 5. Close and Networking lunch 28 Backup material 29 Type of collaboration charities are engaged in Source: Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 2 30 Factors which prompted a charity to collaborate Source: Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 5 31 The benefits gained from charities’ collaboration activities Source: Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 6 32 Main factors perceived to have contributed to successful collaboration Source: Charity Commission small charities survey, 2500 charities surveyed; chart 12a 33