Alliances, Coalitions and Partnerships: Building Collaborative Organizations

177 Pages·2004·1.61 MB·English

by  Joan M. Roberts

Alliances, Coalitions
Partnerships
and

Alliances, Coalitions
Partnerships
and
BUILDING COLLABORATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Joan M. Roberts
NEW SOCIETY PUBLISHERS
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Copyright © 2004 by Joan M.Roberts.
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Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
How Did I Come to Write This Book? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Who is this Book For? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
What are Alliances,Coalitions,and Partnerships? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
What is this Book About? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Chapter One:The Context and Societal Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
The Context:Disengagement and Isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Societal Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Chapter Two:The Trans-Organizational System ofOrganization . . . .23
What is an Organization? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
What is a Trans-Organizational System? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Chapter Three:A Development Framework for
Trans-Organizational Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Phase 1:Determining the Need for a TS and
Exploring the Problem Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Phase 2:Motivation to Collaborate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Phase 3:Member Identification and Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Phase 4:Collaborative Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Phase 5:Building an Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Phase 6:Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Chapter Four:Power and Trans-Organizational Systems . . . . . . . . . . .59
What is Power and Where Does it Come From? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Power Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
A Conceptual Framework ofPower in Traditional Organizations . . .63
Power in a TS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
VII
Power Politics Outside the TS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
A Unique Form ofTS:Government-Initiated
TSs for Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Chapter Five:The Tri-Process Model for TS
Organizational Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
The Tri-Process Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
How to Use the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Chapter Six:Trust-Building Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Why is Trust-Building Important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Objectives and Tools for Trust-Building Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Ongoing Trust-Building Process Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Chapter Seven:Governance Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Objectives and Tools for Governance Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Chapter Eight:Coordination Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Objectives and Tools for Coordination Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Chapter Nine:Lateral Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
What Kind ofLeadership is Required in a TS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
What are the Characteristics ofLateral Leadership? . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
The Psychology ofTSs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Lateral Leadership and Empowerment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Chapter Ten:A Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
CEDAC and the City ofYork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
The Development Stages ofa TS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Chapter Eleven:Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
VIII
Acknowledgments
This book is the result oftwo years offascinating work.In it,I share learning
from over 20 years in community development and large system change.
This learning and experience is the result ofall those who partnered,hired,voted
or supported me in all my endeavors.Thank you for believing in me.
Thanks,too,to Chris Plant at New Society Publishers for believing I could
produce this book. I want also to thank my editors at New Society, Audrey
McLellan and Ingrid Witvoet for their owl-like eyes.
Thanks go to Patrick Cavalier for reviewing the manuscript, providing a
sounding board and valuable feedback on my interdisplinary concepts and
Dorothy Aaron for early editing and advice.
Gratitude is also extended to to all my workshop participants that field tested
the concepts in this book and posed difficult questions.
Lastly,I want to thank my children Erin and Neil Mentuch,for being won-
derful young adults, for their ongoing support and for giving me the space to
assume the various roles and opportunities my life has presented.
IX