1. Collective input. Collective action. Collective impact

2. Why systems change?
No single program, organization, or institution acting in isolation can solve the complex, large-scale education and workforce readiness problems facing our region.
Fresno Area Strive
So why systems change?
I like to start with this cartoon because I think it so perfectly captures what we experience so often in our communities and it highlights the importance of cradle to career systems reform.
One of the foundational tenets of collective impact is that no single program, org acting in isolation can solve the complex large scale ed & workforce readiness problems facing our region.

3. What is the l.a. compact? GOAL 1 GOAL 2 GOAL 3
A common agenda for solving LA’s complex education & workforce challenges
Convened since 2008, the L.A. Compact is a bold commitment by Los Angeles leaders from the education, business, government, labor, and non-profit sectors to transform education outcomes from cradle to career, ensuring that today’s youth have the skills necessary to compete and succeed in a 21st century global workforce.
GOAL 1
All students graduate from high school
All students have access to and are prepared for success in college
All students have access to pathways to sustainable jobs and careers
GOAL 2
GOAL 3

4. MUTUALLY REINFORCING ACTIVITIES
COLLECTIVE IMPACT
The commitment of cross-sector leaders to a common agenda for solving complex social problems
A common understanding of the problem and a joint commitment to work together towards a shared vision for change.
COMMON AGENDA
Partners agree on joint goals and measures of success that drive collaborative action. Partners work together to share and analyze data to continuously improve service delivery, leading to better outcomes.
SHARED MEASUREMENT
The L.A. Compact uses a collective impact approach to achieve large-scale, long-term systems change
Collective impact is the commitment of cross sector leaders to a common agenda for solving complex social problems
There are 5 key components of the collective impact model –
Common Agenda – we have common goals
Shared Measures – we have to agree on joint measures of success and use data for continuous improvement
Mutually reinforcing activities – this isn’t necessarily about doing something new, but how do each of us play a role in a common agenda, and how can we work better together to leverage resources & coordinate services
Continuous communication – We also know that collaboration is hard and that working together depends on building trust among agencies to increase their willingness to collaborate
Convening support – UNITE-LA serves as the Convener of the L.A. Compact, which means that we have dedicated staff to advancing this collaborative agenda
MUTUALLY REINFORCING ACTIVITIES
Independent partner activities and programs reinforce each other by aligning to collective goals and measures of success.
CONTINUOUS
COMMUNICATION
Collaboration moves at the speed of trust
Effective collaboration requires one or more dedicated agencies and staff who can plan, manage, and support the initiative through ongoing facilitation, technology and communications support, data collection and reporting.
CONVENING
SUPPORT

5. Collective impact
The commitment of cross-sector leaders to a common agenda for solving complex social problems
ISOLATED IMPACT
COLLECTIVE IMPACT
Highly effective
Limited Scale
e.g. Individual programs with proven outcomes in a targeted geographic area or with a specific student sub-population
System-wide scale
Opportunities:
Articulation between systems – early childhood to k-12 to college to career
Linked Learning
Transition-Age Foster Youth
Little/No evidence of outcomes
e.g. Individual programs offering services that try to address an identified need, but no tracking of outcomes.
e.g. NCLB - old student-testing models
HIGH
EFFECTIVENESS
So what is collective impact? The commitment of a group of actors –those different stakeholders in the previous slide are now working together towards a common agenda, rather than just trying to solve their problems within their own siloes.
We’ve found it helpful in LA to think of efforts to reform and intervene in the cradle to career pipeline as a matrix involving different levels of effectiveness and scale – You’ll see on the left side, we have described Isolated Impact efforts. And these are individual programs, serving a small population or neighborhood or maybe just serving one piece of a family’s needs. And we know that in all of our communities there are programs that are highly effective, and there are also many that are trying to serve an identified need but are not tracking whether they are effective at all.
Then on the right side, we have collective impact – where we have large scale change. We want to be in this upper right hand corner – where we are working across systems to increase effectiveness on a broad scale. Def. don’t want to be in the bottom right corner – examples of NCLB, but also some of the workforce development programs that are output driven rather than employer demand driven.
The important thing to note is that you don’t get to the top right quadrant – high scale, highly effective by just scaling isolated programs. Collective impact actually could involve the coordinated efforts of many highly effective but small programs, that are all working together to maximize impact. Or it could also be a collaboration to move these low functioning systems into high performing systems.
LOW
LOW
SCALE
HIGH

6. The signers
Committed cross-sector partners

7. Shared measures
L.A. Compact joint accountability for student success, cradle to career

8. Shared measures: P-12 52% 66% + 14 points 34% 40% + 6 points 12% 18%
LAUSD
2009
2013
Change
High School Graduation:
52%
66%
+ 14 points
3rd Grade Reading:
34%
40%
+ 6 points
High School Math:
12%
18%
+ 6 points
Attendance:
64%
68%
+ 4 points
Instructional Days
Lost to Suspensions:
59,783
12,371
- 79%

9. Shared measures: Postsecondary
LAUSD
2011
2013
Change
Graduates Completing
A-G
35%
37%
+ 2 points
LAUSD
2009
2013
Change
Students ready for college-level English: 9%
14%
+ 5 points
Students ready for college-level math: 6% 7%
+ 1 point

10. Shared measures: Career
L.A. County
2009
2012
Change
Unemployment Rate for Year Olds
25.4%
28.5%
+ 3 points
1 in 5 African-American and 1 in 6 Hispanic/Latino year olds are out of school and out of work in the LA metropolitan region
LAUSD
2009
2013
Change
High School Students Enrolled in Thematic Learning Environments
63%
71%
+ 8 points

11. governance
2 models for support mutually reinforcing activities through collective impact

12. Collaborative model #1
Clearly defined cascading levels of collaboration
FSG.ORG

13. Collaborative model #1
Clearly defined cascading levels of collaboration
FSG.ORG
Works well for a collective impact initiative focused on one or just a few concrete goals, and when there’s a clear agency positioned to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative
Easy to visualize but….
The community context for collective impact initiatives is often much more complicated:
Existing coalitions operate at various levels of effectiveness, often working on a microcosm of the bigger picture, led by different partners
One agency may not have the skills, capacity, or credibility to convene around multiple issues
Territorial issues with “claiming” an initiative as part of a larger collective impact agenda

14. Collaborative model #2
The constellation model for collaborative governance
Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health & the Environment
Constellations are not a monolithic set of integrated projects, but rather loosely coupled coordinated initiatives. This loose coupling is central to maintaining autonomy while ensuring that the group is moving towards it strategic goals.

15. Key components of the constellation model
Magnetic Attractors: A need or opportunity that draws partners to develop a constellation.
Constellations: Action-focused work teams that can be formal projects, opportunistic initiatives, or working groups that guide particular aspects of the partnership and are aligned to the overall vision. Different partners can step forward to lead new constellations to meet an identified need. Participating organizations serve their own self- interest through the constellation’s work.
Stewardship Group: Members act as stewards of the larger community interest and serve the partnership’s broader collective vision. Responsible for ensuring constellations are aligned with the overall vision of the partnership and identifying emerging “magnetic attractors.”
Secretariat: 3rd party coordination that guides the planning process, facilitates meetings, supports new constellations, fundraises for joint projects, mediates conflict, helps information to flow between partners, and builds the overall capacity of the group to work towards their desired outcomes.

16. L.a. compact stakeholder roles
SIGNERS
Provide high level commitment on behalf of an agency or institution to the shared agenda and collaborative process.
Executive Level Leaders
STEWARDSHIP GROUP
Identify emerging opportunities for collaborative action to improve student outcomes along the cradle to career continuum. Ongoing management and review of joint metrics of success. Pursue joint funding opportunities to advance collaborative strategies. Fulfillment, tracking progress, and updating of institutional commitments to the L.A. Compact partnership. Review of L.A. Compact agreement to ensure the strategies remain relevant in shifting contexts.
Senior Staff/ Deputies Representing Compact Signers
CONVENERS
Lead convener for one or more collaboratives or workgroups. Guide vision & strategy; Support aligned activities; Establish shared measurement practices; Build public will; Advance policy; Mobilize funding. Convener agencies coordinate with other conveners to promote alignment between constellations.
UNITE-LA convenes the broader L.A. Compact – various partners convene different workgroups
COLLABORATIVES/ WORKGROUPS (Constellations)
Action-focused work groups that develop specific goals and collaborative strategies to drive improved student outcomes along the cradle-to-career continuum. Work groups are aligned to the overall vision of the L.A. Compact, but operate with relative autonomy. Different partners can step forward to lead new constellations to meet an identified need.
Cross-Sector Organizational Staff & Leaders
PARTNERS
Agencies participate in collaborative workgroups to develop a shared action plan and provide direct services that contribute to the L.A. Compact’s goals.
Use L.A. Compact model as a way to see where Chamber’s can play a role in collective impact efforts.
In our model, the Chamber plays multiple roles. We are a convener, but also a signer & on the stewardship group. We are also a partner in collaborative workgroups.

17. l.A. compact workgroups
As the L.A. Compact expands, we are increasingly embodying a multi-convener model
Collaboratives & Workgroups
Convener(s)
Joint Advocacy Workgroup
UNITE-LA
Workforce Systems Collaborative
Performance Partnership Pilot
City of Los Angeles & LAUSD
L.A. Opportunity Youth Collaborative
Data, Pathways, Youth Leadership, & Policy Workgroups
Foster Youth Career Pathways Initiative
Alliance for Children’s Rights
L.A. Chamber
LA Regional STEM Hub
Out-of-School Time Action Workgroup
LA Grade Level Reading Campaign
Attendance
Summer Learning
School Readiness
Families in Schools
TBD
First 5 LA
Institutions of Higher Education Collab.
LA Educator Pathways Partnership
Student Success Workgroup
UNITE-LA & LAUSD
Business Collaborative
Los Angeles School Development Institute
UNITE-LA, AALA, UTLA, LAUSD

18. the role of intermediaries in collective impact
Convening support
the role of intermediaries in collective impact

19. Who is the right convener?
The Forum for Youth Investment
Who is the right convener?
As the L.A. Compact expands, we are increasingly embodying a multi-convener model
Do you have the skills?
Guide vision and strategy
Support aligned activities
Establish shared measurement
Build public will
Advance policy
Mobilize funding
Do you have the bandwidth?
Dedicated staff (with right skills)
Organizational buy-in
Sustainability potential
Start-up flexibility (willing to serve in interim or time limited role)
Is it a fit?
Partnership’s vision matches your vision
Geographic scope – similar to Partnership
Geographic levels – neighborhood, city/county state
Leadership Levels – respected by grassroots & grasstops
Credibility – are you seen as a natural leader in this space?

20. What do conveners do?
Perform 6 major functions
FSG.ORG

21. Collaboration moves at the speed of trust
What do conveners do?
Collaboration moves at the speed of trust