I have written in the past about what I call the pendulum swing or the bandwagon effect. I think this is what has happened with respect to collective impact over the past 10 years. I suggest it also occurred in the late 1980s when outcome measurement rode into town on its stallion named Logic Model.Continue reading “Collective Impact as Uprising”
Category Archives: Collective Impact
Upside Down Thinking: Funders should be Rebels
Funders should apply to community agencies to fund them. Can you get your head around that? What would that look like? Why would that approach be more impactful and cost-effective than current practice? Would this upside down version of funders foster more partnerships? Would there be a transformative power-shift? One of my favorite upside downContinue reading “Upside Down Thinking: Funders should be Rebels”
About Collective Impact: Types of Problems, Degrees of Change, Learning Loops, and Methods of Thinking
Collective Impact is multi-sector approach to large-scale collaboration that is authentically inclusive of citizens in its development and implementation – in particular citizens who have life-experience with the big problems or issues being addressed, such as poverty, climate change, family violence, and so many more. Collective Impact is not an approach aimed at creating programContinue reading “About Collective Impact: Types of Problems, Degrees of Change, Learning Loops, and Methods of Thinking”
35 Voices On Collaborative Leadership and Co-Creating Cities of the Future
In July and August, I sought out individuals in my personal and professional network to contribute to a major paper I was writing on Collaborative Leadership and Co-Creating Cities of the Future. I sought out participation through Facebook, via a survey which I promoted in emails and through Twitter. The paper was released last weekContinue reading “35 Voices On Collaborative Leadership and Co-Creating Cities of the Future”
Democracy is dying. Time to get to work.
I came across an article by George Monbiot (www.monbiot.com) that appeared in the Guardian this July. In this article, Monbiot writes about James McGill Buchanan, an economist influenced by neoliberalism and deeply funded by billionaire Charles Koch, the 7th wealthiest person in the world. According to Monbiot, Buchanan was an advocate for what he calledContinue reading “Democracy is dying. Time to get to work.”
Developing Collective Impact Strategies
This article contains tools and approaches designed to help with the development of Collective Impact strategies. This resource is meant to serve as a guide for you and your colleagues as well as to stir your thinking. Three approaches are addressed: Divergent and Convergent Thinking, Strategy Criteria, and a structured approach to Strategy Formulation.
Precarious Work
When an employer won’t allow a worker more than 25 hours a week but requires that worker to be available for work 7 days a week, people become little more than commodities on the open market of Precarious Employment. Lately I have made an effort to talk with folks that work at places like Shopper’sContinue reading “Precarious Work”
The Music of Collaboration
At the Cities Reducing Poverty: When Mayor’s Lead gathering that Tamarack’s Vibrant Communities hosted in Edmonton April 5 to 7, one of my many roles and privileges was to be an MC at a reception at City Hall for summit participants. At this event, the trio Asani performed their version of our national anthemContinue reading “The Music of Collaboration”
Trickle-Down Community Engagement
Cross posted at http://www.vibrantcommunities.ca I waspreparing for the community engagement learning event Tamarack was doing in Ottawa last month called Community Engagement: The Next Generation. One of the workshops I wanted to do was on engagement of marginalized populations, in particular those living in poverty. My exploration of this topic led me to some provocative writing byContinue reading “Trickle-Down Community Engagement”
Why Speak Ill of Charity?
It’s sad. There are too many people who speak ill of charities. Some making sweeping accusations or conclusions without any real evidence or understanding. Some prefer to focus on the mistakes charities make (and of course they make some) rather than the good they deliver, There are some who think the continuation of social problemsContinue reading “Why Speak Ill of Charity?”
Tamarack 2015 Community Impact Summit. Phew!
What a summit it was! 260 people from Canada, the United States, Denmark, Guatemala, Singpore, New Zealand and beyond, working and learning together, inspired by the likes of Al Etmanski (my favorite speaker at the event), Fay Hanleybrown, Stacey Stewart, and Karen Pittman – all of whom gave keynote addresses. Dozens of workshops were led by Paul Born,Continue reading “Tamarack 2015 Community Impact Summit. Phew!”
