From Handshake to Compact: Guidance to Foster Collaborative, Multimodal Decision Making (2005)

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54 5.0 BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER The material presented in previous sections is focused on the factors and steps that are necessary for a successful collabo- ration. The material can be used to provide an initial assess- ment of the health of a collaboration and that can then lead to opportunities for improvement. One of the strategies for improving the health of a collaboration is simply taking action on those characteristics that did not score highly in the self-assessment, such as the one shown in Table 3 . For exam- ple, the worst score in Table 3 was given to the characteris- tic “there is effective feedback to the collaboration partici- pants on the effects of previous decisions.” To rectify this problem, you would want to put in place mechanisms or processes that make sure feedback on the results of previous decisions are communicated to collaboration participants. However, some of the issues identified in the scorecard might require more substantial action. In this case, a collaboration toolbox, consisting of the strategies described in the previous section, can be used to take corrective action to improve the health of the collaboration. Organizing the Toolbox There are many examples of how different strategies can be used to deal with a variety of challenges to the collaboration. However, you must think carefully about what specific strate- gies or combination of strategies can be applied to the problem being faced. Although the strategies described in the previous section can be applied in a variety of ways, the following list suggests how these strategies could help in dealing with any of the issues that arise from the scorecard. Tools to Improve Basic Foundations • Writing a purpose and needs statement • Establishing common language and terms • Creating an ad hoc or formal task force/committee • Using third-party facilitation • Training staff members Tools to Improve Leadership • Writing a purpose and needs statement • Creating an ad hoc or formal task force/committee • Using third-party facilitation • Rotating staff assignments

55 Tools to Improve the Process of Collaboration • Defining a jointly developed work program • Establishing common terms and language • Creating an ad hoc or formal task force/committee • Rotating staff assignments • Training staff members • Adopting a memorandum of understanding • Using collaboration technology in communications • Co-locating staff in a common collaboration space Tools to Enhance Organizational Support • Adopting a memorandum of understanding • Using third-party facilitation • Training staff members • Rotating staff assignments • Creating a new organization Applying the Toolbox The poor score for “there is effective feedback to the collaboration participants on the effects of previous decisions” falls into the “Process of Collaboration” category. Thus, you might use some of the strategies listed under “Tools to Improve the Collaboration Process” to deal with this issue. Examples of how this can be done include the following: Defining a jointly developed work program: If a current work program exists, modify it to include a feedback task. If a work program does not exist, develop one that explicitly recognizes this need as part of the technical work program for the collaboration. Creating an ad hoc or formal task force/committee: If an ad hoc or formal task force/committee exists, jointly decide on the strategy for improving feedback. If such an institutional structure does not exist, consider creating one. Adopting a memorandum of understanding: This strategy is usually reserved for more complicated relationships and thus is not likely to be used for the feedback issue. However, if an MOU is being considered for the more general description of institutional relationships, the description of the decision-making processes and information flow that will occur among the participants should include the feedback issue. An MOU, however, is not a particularly useful strategy for dealing with only one issue. Using collaboration technology in communications: Providing feedback on the results of previous decisions will most likely require the collection of data and informa-

56 tion, interpreting what they mean, and conveying the results to the collaboration partners. Thus, the use of collaboration technology is a likely strategy for dealing with this issue. Co-locating staff in a common collaboration space: Like the use of an MOU, this strategy is usually reserved for more complicated relationships. However, co-location of staff would certainly enhance the communication and interaction among those working in the collaboration. Summary This handbook has presented guidance on how to create healthy and effective collabo- rations. Given the varied contexts in which collaborations can occur, as well as which rung of the ladder you start on, it is difficult to provide simple advice on how particular collab- orations should evolve. The self-assessment tool provides an opportunity for a very impor- tant snapshot of the health of a collaboration, pinpointing where problems might exist and leading to an overall strategy for identifying what next steps might be necessary. The ladder of collaboration concept illustrates the level of engagement and commitment necessary to take successive steps toward more involved collaboration. The description of strategies pre- sents a toolbox of actions that can be considered for making necessary improvements to a collaboration. Remember, you do not have to climb all the way to the top of the ladder! However, par- ticipants in a collaboration do have to get to the ladder. Getting them to the ladder—and keep- ing them there—could perhaps be the most significant challenge faced.