Working with complex dilemmas The effectiveness of collaboration Annette Lees

Levels of engagement, IAP2 Level of engagement commitment Promise to people and organisations Inform‘We will keep you informed’ Consult‘We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge your concerns and aspirations’ Involve‘We will work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in our alternatives.’ Collaborate‘We will look to you for direct advice and innovation, and will incorporate your recommendations to the maximum extent possible.’ Empower‘We will implement what you decide.’

Collaboration – you know you’re soaking in it. Land and Water Forum Kaimai Inter-Agency Coordination Committee Community-Owned Rural Catchment Management Christmas with the family

A range of meanings and applications Collaborative processes: Sharing information, finding common ground, debating solutions, seeking consensus resolution.

Collaborative governance “A process in which participants representing different interests are collectively empowered to make a policy decision or make recommendations to a final decision-maker who will not substantially change the consensus recommendation from the group.” Guy Salmon

Why choose collaboration? More likely to resolve complex issues than consultative processes. More likely to result in innovative solutions, better tailored to specific catchments. Leads to a stronger sense of ownership. Solution more likely to be enduring and robust. Builds communities and enhances individuals. Expand problem-solving competence by drawing on stakeholders’ wide range of knowledge, understanding and resources.

When is collaboration essential? Solving “wicked problems”, dilemmas where: High degree of concern, upset or interest about an issue Causes complex and involve many stakeholders Technical experts disagree or are unclear Previous single stakeholder initiatives have not worked Likely to be difficult to get agreement among stakeholders Difficult for the lead agency to implement the programme on its own Solutions are not clear or might take the lead agency into new and uncertain territory.

and especially where.. People who are required to make change are engaged in decision-making about that change

Video: The Cynefin Model By Dave Snowden at Cognitive Edge ‘Cynefin’: the place of your multiple belongings Four types of problems: Simple Complicated Complex Chaotic

Simple problems Relationship between cause and effect is predictable. Best practice will solve the problem.

Complicated problems Relationship between cause and effect is not predictable. Experts, good practice will solve the problem.

Complex problems Without clear causality. Solutions lie in experimentation and finding new ways to do things. Social situation complex.

Chaos No cause and effect. Have to stabilise situation quickly. Solution lies in command and control.

Group work Is your dilemma a problem that is simple, complicated, complex or chaos? How could you help your organisation commit to a collaborative process to resolve it? Is there a bright spark idea from this session that would help address your dilemma?