1. 9/11/2018
Collective Impact
Prosper Lincoln
June 24, 2016

2. Today’s Session Collective Impact 101 Collective Impact in Action
9/11/2018
Today’s Session
Collective Impact 101
Collective Impact in Action
Questions and Responses
PeterKiewitFoundation.org

3. Juvenile Justice in New York
$286,000 =
89% recidivism rate
Source: FSG

4. Actors In the NY Juvenile Justice System
Source: FSG

5. There Are Several Types of Problems
Simple
Complicated
Complex
Raising a Child
Baking a Cake
Sending a Rocket to the Moon
Social sector treats problems as simple or complicated
Source: Adapted from “Getting to Maybe”

6. Traditional Approaches Not Solving Our Toughest – Often Complex – Challenges
Funders select individual grantees
Organizations work separately and compete
Evaluation attempts to isolate a particular organization’s impact
Large scale change is assumed to depend on scaling organizations
Corporate and government sectors are often disconnected from foundations and non-profits
Isolated Impact
Source: FSG

7. Imagine a Different Approach – Multiple Players Working Together
All working toward the same goal and measuring the same things
Cross-sector alignment with government, nonprofit, philanthropic and corporate sectors as partners
Organizations actively coordinating their action and sharing lessons learned
Isolated Impact
Collective Impact
Source: FSG

8. Collective Impact
The commitment of a group of committed actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.
PS: Collective Impact is not synonymous with collaboration, it is a form of STRUCTURED collaboration.
Source: FSG

9. Five Key Elements of Collective Impact
Common Agenda
Common understanding of the problem
Shared vision for change
Boundaries for issue, systems, geography, etc.
Shared Measurement
Collecting data and measuring results
Focus on performance management
Shared accountability, action focused
Mutually Reinforcing Activities
Differentiated approaches
Willingness to adapt individual activities
Coordination through joint plan of action
Continuous Communication
Consistent and open communication
Focus on building trust
Separate organization(s) with staff
Resources and skills to convene and coordinate participating organizations
Backbone Support
Source: FSG

10. Collective Impact Can Apply to Many Complex Social Issues
Education
Healthcare
Homelessness
Youth Development
Economic Development
Community Development
Source: FSG

11. The “Secret Recipe” for Collective Impact Success
Context
Silver Buckshot vs. Silver Bullets – it’s not one answer, it’s an integrated, aligned set of answers
Adaptive vs. Technical Solutions – answers come from within, effort adapts based on learnings and context changes
Credibility vs. Credit – actors collaborate and contribute to overall effort instead of competing
Strategy + Process + Trust
Source: FSG

12. Today’s Session Collective Impact 101 Collective Impact in Action
9/11/2018
Today’s Session
Collective Impact 101
Collective Impact in Action
Questions and Responses
PeterKiewitFoundation.org

13. Key Conditions to Launching a Successful Collective Impact Initiative
Urgency for Change
Critical problem in the community
Frustration with existing approaches
Multiple actors calling for change
Engaged funders and policy makers
Influential Champion
Commands respect and engages cross-sector leaders
Focused on solving problem but allows participants to figure out answers for themselves
Financial Resources $
Committed funding partners
Sustained funding for at least 2-3 years
Pays for needed infrastructure and planning
Source: FSG

14. Collective Impact Efforts Tend to Develop over Three Key Phases
Phase I
Initiate Action
Phase II
Organize for Impact
Phase III
Sustain Action & Impact
Components for Success
Develop group, structure communication, and decision making
Create infrastructure (backbone and processes)
Facilitate and refine
Governance and
Infrastructure
Map the landscape and use data to make case
Create common agenda (goals, strategy)
Support implementation (alignment to goal and strategies)
Strategic Planning
Facilitate community outreach
Engage community and build public will
Continue engagement, conduct advocacy
Community Involvement
Analyze baseline data to identify key issues and gaps
Establish shared metrics (indicators, measurement, and approach)
Collect, track, report progress (process to learn and improve)
Evaluation and Improvement
Source: FSG

15. Collective Impact is Best Structured with Cascading Levels of Collaboration
Common Agenda
Shared Measures
Steering Committee
Governance,
Vision, and Strategy
Backbone
Working Groups
Action Planning
Partners
Implementation
Community Members
Public Will
Source: FSG

16. Backbones Perform Six Major Functions
Guide Vision and Strategy
Support Aligned Activities
Establish Shared Measurement Practices
Build Public Will
Advance Policy
Mobilize Funding
Backbones must stay behind the scenes, coordinate and maintain accountability, and establish collective ownership
Source: FSG

17. Effective Backbone Leaders Share Common Characteristics
Visionary
Results-Oriented
Collaborative, Relationship Builder
Focused, but Adaptive
Charismatic and Influential Communicator
Politic
Humble
Backbones typically provide three types of staff roles: project direction, data management, and facilitation
Source: FSG

18. Common Misperceptions about the Role of the Backbone
The backbone organization sets the agenda for the group
The backbone organization drives the solutions
The backbone organization receives all the funding
The role of backbone can be self appointed rather than selected by the community
That the role of backbone can be fulfilled by volunteers
Source: FSG

19. Overcoming the Challenge of Shared Measurement
Effective Relationship with Funders
Strong leadership and substantial funding throughout multi-year development period
Independence from funders in devising indicators and managing the system
Broad and Open Engagement
Broad engagement in design process by many organizations in field, with clear expectations about confidentiality/ transparency
Voluntary participation open to all relevant organizations
Infrastructure for Deployment
Effective use of web-based technology
Ongoing staffing to provide training, facilitation, and to review accuracy of data
Pathways for Learning and Improvement
Testing and continually improving system through user feedback
Facilitated process for participants to gather periodically to share results, learn from each other, and coordinate efforts
Source: FSG

20. What Does it Mean to be a “Player Coach”?
Funders Must Evolve their Practices to be Effective in Collective Impact
Change in Approach
Develop their own strategy
Pick individual grantees
Technical approach
Attribution
Hold grantees accountable
Short-term view
“Team Owner”
Co-create strategy
Support collaborative process
Adaptive approach
Contributions
Hold joint accountability
“Burning Patience”
“Player Coach” TO
What Does it Mean to be a “Player Coach”?
Align funding to common measures (get other funders to do so too)
Fund backbone, shared measurement system, discrete initiatives
Provide content expertise
Encourage grantees and other stakeholders to align to the effort
Participate on working groups and steering committee
Source: FSG

21. Collective Impact’s Intangible Elements
Collective Impact Also Depends on Essential Intangible Elements for Success
Collective Impact’s Intangible Elements
Relationship and Trust building
Leadership Identification and Development
Creating a Culture of Learning
Fostering Connections between People
The Power of Hope
Source: FSG

22. Final Advice as You Move from Planning to Doing
Structure the effort for both intentionality and uncertainty
Build effective backbone capacity
Attend to the “essential intangibles”
Source: FSG

23. Juvenile Justice in New York
The plan the group developed was enacted, virtually wholesale, into law as the state’s plan
Between December 2010 and June 30, 2013 the number of youth in state custody declined by 45% and several upstate secure facilities were closed
Between 2010 and 2012, juvenile arrests dropped by 24%, and the total number of juveniles admitted to detention declined by 23%
No increase in juvenile crime
Source: FSG

24. Today’s Session Collective Impact 101 Collective Impact in Action
9/11/2018
Today’s Session
Collective Impact 101
Collective Impact in Action
Questions and Responses
PeterKiewitFoundation.org

25. Quick Activity Get into your initiative groups (2 minutes)
9/11/2018
Quick Activity
Get into your initiative groups (2 minutes)
Identify your groups three most critical questions (5 minutes)
Time to Talk (23 minutes)
PeterKiewitFoundation.org