Making collaboration work : lessons from innovation in natural resource management

300 Pages·2000·11.482 MB·English

by  Wondollek, Julia Marie, Yaffee, Steven Lewis

About Island Press
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Making Collaboration Work

Making Collaboration Work
Lessons from Innovation in
Natural Resource Management
Julia M. Wondolleck and Steven L. Yaffee
ISLAND PRESS
Washington, D. C. • Covelo, California
Copyright © 2000 Julia M. Wondolleck and Steven L. Yaffee
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Con
ventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, Suite
300, 1718 Connecticut Ave., Nw, Washington, DC 20009.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wondolleck, Julia Marie.
Making collaaboration work : lessons from innovation in natural
resource management/Julia M. Wondolleck, Steven L. Yaffee.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55963-461-8 (doth) -ISBN 1-55963-462-6 (paper)
1. Conservation of natural resources-United States. 2. Natural
resources-United States-Management. I. Yaffee, Steven Lewis.
II. Title.
S93o.W65 2ooo
333·7'0973-dC2I
oo-oo8858
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper 8@)
Manufactured in the United States ofA merica
10 9 8 7 6 54 3 2
Contents
Preface xi
Part 1: The Promise and Challenge of Collaboration in
Resource Management
1
l. Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future 3
Why Is InnovatWn Occurring? 5
A New Style ofR esource Management II
The Uses and Mechanisms of Collaboration 18
A Guide to Making Collaboration Work 19
2. Why Collaboration? 23
Building Understanding 24
Making Wife Decisions and Building Support for Them 30
Getting Work Done 36
Developing Agencies, Organizations, and Communities 41
3. The Challenge of Collaboration 47
The Basic Dilemma 48
InstitutWnal and Structural Barriers 51
Barriers Due to Attitudes and Perceptions 58
Problems with the Process of Collaboration 63
Overcoming Barriers 66
Part IT: Lessons from a Decade of People Working
Together 69
4. Building on Common Ground 71
A Sense ofP lace or Community 73
Shared Problems or Fears 76
Shared Goals or Interests 78
Compatible Interests 82
vii
Vlll CONTENTS
5. Creating New Opportunities for Interaction 87
Worki~ at Outreach through Communication 89
Establishing New Structures 92
6. Crafting Meaningful, Effective, and Enduring Processes 99
A MeaningfUl and Legitimate Process ofI nteraction 101
An Effective Process 108
An Enduri~ Process 115
7. Focusing on the Problem in New and Different Ways 119
A Willingness to Try New Approaches 121
A Holistic Perspective 124
Problem Focused, Not Bound by Positions or Procedures 127
Not Bound by Traditional Conceptions ofA gency Roles 130
Learni~ Together 132
Bounding the Problem with Credible Information 134
8. Fostering a Sense of Responsibility and Commitment 139
Transformi~ "Them» to ''Us'' 142
Ownership of the Problem and the Process 146
Commitment 148
Fairness 153
9. Partnerships Are People 157
Shattering Misperceptions and Fosteri~ Understandi~ 159
Building and Sustaining Relationships 162
Motivating Inwlvement 168
Cultural and Community Differences 171
10. A Proactive and Entrepreneurial Approach 175
Dedicated, Energetic Individuals 177
Proactive, Not Reactive 180
Taking Advantage of Existing Opportunities 183
Nothing Succeeds Like Success 186
Persistence Pays Off 191
ix
CONTENTS
ll. Getting Help, Giving Help 195
Resource Mobilizing, Not &source Constrained 198
Accessing Expertise and Ideas 200
Building Public and Political Support 203
Getting Help by Giving Help 206
Part lll: Getting Started
2n
12. A Primer for Agencies 213
Imagining Collaborative Possibilities 214-
Enabling Employees to Be Effective at Collaboration 218
Encouraging the Development of Collaborative &lationships 222
Evaluating the Experience with Collaboration 224-
Committing to the Process and Products of Collaboration 225
13. Ensuring Accountability 229
The Critics' Concerns 230
The Issue ofA ccountability 232
The Traditional &sponse 234-
The Balance between Control and Flexibility 235
Promoting Accountable Collaboration 237
14. A Message to Individuals 24-7
Summary Advice 24-9
A Guide to Getting Started 250
Notes 253
Index 267
About the Authors 279