Using a Spectrum of Collaboration in Implementation and Change Efforts
By Dr. Sobia Khan, Director of Implementation
7-min read
Many of us recognize how important partnership is to implementation - in fact, implementation has been described as the social process of change, and relationships are increasingly being recognized as the backbone of implementation. We all have experience with relationships, with many years under our belts connecting with others - and yet, when it comes to implementation, we often struggle to envision the ways in which we might partner for change. Given that we can’t function in a system without connection and that we are more often being required to partner with people across the system by funding agencies and others who are spearheading change work, it helps to think about how partnerships can be made more effective and fruitful for our implementation work.
Developing partnership goals for implementation
A good starting point is to develop partnership goals. A few years ago, I performed a multiple case study on interorganizational partnerships and found (very unsurprisingly) that organizations that clearly articulate partnership goals are more likely to have positive experiences in their partnerships and more effective outcomes of their partnerships (e.g., actually working well together during implementation, meeting their implementation goals together, etc.). I also realized (very unsurprisingly) that many people do not actually articulate partnership goals in practice and that there is generally a dearth of research in this area.
So what does a partnership goal look like? You can have goals related to numbers and types of partners that should be involved. For example, if you are part of a community initiative that needs to involve multiple agencies, a goal might be to engage a specific number and specific types of agencies within a specified time period. This might be a good first step if you are trying to build connections in the system and to make sure that you are including a diversity of partners.
Unpacking the types of collaborations using the Tamarack Institute’s Collaboration Spectrum
A more robust goal will relate to the quality of intensity of the partnership. For this using a collaboration spectrum might be helpful to envision what different partnerships might look like. We like to use the Tamarack Institute’s Spectrum of Collaboration to describe the quality or intensity of partnership. We have adapted some of the language for the collaboration labels from this spectrum to make it more user-friendly and to align with the way that many of our partners are describing partnerships.
Merge
At the most intense level of partnership, we are essentially merging or functioning as one organization.
Collaborate
A step down from there is true collaboration, which means that vision, goals, procedures, resources, and other important aspects of organizational functioning are shared, and there is trust between organizations.
Ongoing joint work
A step below this is coordination, meaning there is less sharing of those organizational components and more coordination, or a level of ongoing joint work related to those components to align with one another over the long term.
As-needed joint work
As we think about the middle of the spectrum, we can cooperate or do joint work as needed. This means that we are performing some ad-hoc and time-limited activities together but don’t necessarily work with one another when those activities are complete.
Knowledge exchange
The next level involves knowledge exchange. This is based on communication and knowledge sharing.
Co-existing
We really appreciate the inclusion of co-existing on this spectrum. In reality, this is a common collaboration dynamic, but it is not included in many of collaboration spectrums. When organizations are co-existing, it means there is no formal or explicit connection or collaboration efforts between the organizations.
Competing
This spectrum is unique in that it also includes and acknowledges that sometimes organizations are actively competing with one another.
How you can use a collaboration spectrum to set partnership goals
You can use a spectrum like this to set partnership goals by determining your implementation goals first and then selecting partnership a partnership level that will help you reach that implementation goal. For example, if your goal is to spread your initiative through dissemination mechanisms, perhaps you only need to communicate. If your goal is co-design and co-deliver a program, perhaps you need to coordinate or collaborate. The idea here is not to reach the highest intensity of partnership (as this is not always effective) - it’s to match the intensity of the partnership with what is needed to reach your implementation goals. Once you have matched partnership goals with implementation goals, you can create a specific set of activities to operationalize your partnership that aligns with what is needed to achieve that level of partnership.
Seeing partnership as part of the implementation process is a key reframing that can help everyone engaged in implementation practice and research. When you consider partnership as part of the work and not just a consideration, you can develop partnerships with intentionality and spend the time that’s required to stimulate the right relationships for implementation.
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