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Cross sectoral collaboration – how it works?

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What is cross sectoral collaboration

Cross sectoral collaboration is the type of cooperation in which two or more organizations work together across sectors to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Through a successful collaboration, a cross sectoral partnership can be formed in which partners formally agree to use their resources and funds to work toward common, measurable goals.

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Types of cross sectoral partnership models

This article will present four most common types of partnership models:

Joint Project – short-term, one-time collaborative effort or single project.

Joint Program – Multiple projects, work streams, or deliverables around a single focus area with a small set of partners

Multi-Stakeholder initiative – Partners and resources aligned to drive systemic change on a common agenda; often requires a secretariat and a governance structure

Collective impact – Long-term commitments to a common agenda, with many actors and independent workstreams

The table shows which model should be used in which situation:

What When
Joint Project The problem is limited by time or geography

 

A small set of partners are ready and able to tackle the problem

 

There is no need for a long-term collaboration; once the problem is solved, the partners can go their separate ways
Joint Program The problem is limited by geography or time; however, it may require activities over an extended period of time, typically years

 

If needed, partners may join or leave the partnership

 

Program will continue as long as needed
Multi-Stakeholder initiative The problem is complicated and large in scale, involving many countries

 

There is a set of solutions that partnership agree upon

 

There is a need to coordinate organizations already working on the subject

 

Multiple partners are ready to obligate large amounts of resources, including funding
Collective impact The problem is truly complicated and requires action at multiple levels—local, national, and international

 

There is no single solution; instead, solving the problem requires several types of activities

 

Several organizations are already actively working on the problem, though not in coordination

Benefits of cross sectoral collaboration

Increased scale – The partnership leverages its resources to reach more people

Replicability and sustainability – the success of partnerships can encourage sustained and expanded investment and provide a model for others to follow. Partners can transform otherwise time-limited development investments into long-term, marketable and scalable initiatives.

Improved effectiveness – Sharing experience and knowledge can boost innovation and unlock new opportunities and networks.

Better efficiency – Collaboration accelerates success while reducing financial commitments.

Systemic change – larger spheres of influence increase the opportunities for progress

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How to Create a Successful Cross-Sectoral Collaboration

In the beginning, before you find partners, you need to think about what is the exact problem. Once you have identified it, then look for organizations that are in direct contact with that problem. Once you have identified partners, you should approach them with an offer to work together.

The first meetings are meant to be exploratory. Listening skills are one of the most important skills when it comes to effective collaboration. Encourage partners to develop their ideas and to be creative. This will create a very large pool of ideas from which the best ones can later be selected. Don’t express your own opinion and ideas right away, wait for others to speak up. Create a safe environment for them where they feel confident and comfortable. This will open up their creative thinking. Thank everyone for their input, listen carefully to what they say. Remember the problem you identified before the partnership began and let it guide you to appropriate solutions. In time, the exact goals and objectives will be formed. This will allow the collaboration to evolve along with the solutions.

Source https://www.resonanceglobal.com/the-guide-to-cross-sector-collaboration