Formal Agreements

Learn where to find the authority for your Agency to do work proposed by a partnership. Citing the Agency’s authority is one element of all partnership agreements. Consider your Agency’s process and practice for developing a partnership agreement and identify who should be on your agreement team. Consider the process, practice and advisors of the […]

Partner Culture Awareness

Seek to understand the seven attributes of organizational culture: Mission, Practice, People, Governance, Financial Capacity, Tradition and Institutional History.  Consider how you introduce elements of your organization’s culture to new and long-standing partners as your organization changes over time.  Assess the gaps in your understanding of a partner’s culture and the benefit of learning more. […]

Philanthropic Foundations

Private foundations contribute to the public good through their time, talent and treasure.  But what exactly is a foundation, and how can a government agency work with them? Discussion Questions: What are the three kinds of nonprofits, as designated under the IRS tax code? What distinguishes a private foundation from other nonprofits? What types of […]

Three Elements of Collaborative Leadership

Collaborative leadership can be summarized as putting forward your “Hand, Head, Heart.” Extend your hand as a peer. Use your head to foster cooperation and teamwork. Connect with your heart to applaud and champion partners including their approaches to recognition. Discussion Questions: Based on your experience, provide one example of working peer-to-peer with another organization […]

Managing Collaboration

 Foundations for Strong Collaboration Effective collaboration requires a solid foundation.  Learn about the four cornerstones of collaboration: Vision, Mission, Goals and Roles. Explore the impact of individual, interpersonal and group dynamics on the collaborative process, and why it is worth “going slow to go fast” to lay a strong foundation. Discussion Questions: Why is […]

Collaborative Conservation: Spectrum of Public Engagement

 Explore key concepts and best practices for making collaboration work. Collaboration is a process through which parties who see different aspects of a problem can constructively explore their differences, and search for solutions that go beyond what any one of them might have thought possible. This video was produced by the US Fish and […]

Situation Assessments: An Overview

Some of the most controversial and politicized debates in the United States today concern the appropriate management of natural resources. In response, collaborative problem solving has become more commonplace. This approach is grounded in the belief that if you bring together the right people in constructive ways with good information, they will develop reciprocal understanding, […]

Community Collaboration

Community Collaboration: Strategies Explore the characteristics of collaboration. Discover the benefits of collaboration beyond reaching consensus. Identify the guiding principles for collaboration. Explore the Spectrum of Public Participation and consider how to use informing, consulting, cooperating and collaborating to support the work of partnerships and community outreach. Learn more about how stakeholders came together in […]

Persuasion

Explore the communications tools used to persuade an individual or group of individuals to change their attitude or behavior. Learn more about techniques to establish credibility, frame common ground, provide evidence and connect emotionally. Consider the importance of creating an emotional and intellectual connection with your audience and the suite of communication tools employed by […]

Strengthening Your Conflict Management Skills

 Recognize how our behaviors, perceptions and assumptions can contribute to conflict.  Learn to recognize emotionality, and what communication skills can help you through a difficult conversation. Explore alternative strategies for responding to conflict and negotiating an agreement. Discussion Questions: Think of a situation where you were in conflict in the workplace. What was your […]

Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR)

 Explore the readiness conditions of the agency, partners and the public that will support a collaborative process. Identify the five sources of conflict and how to alleviate tensions with strategies to bring people together in discussion. Gain insights from real world and hypothetical examples of environmental collaboration and conflict resolution. Learn more about how […]

Making Meetings Work

Meetings are where we build trust, cooperation, solve problems and celebrate success. Together we plan for the future and evaluate past performance. Explore the best practices for making meetings work and consider how to translate in-person interactions to conference calls and virtual meetings. Discussion Questions: Describe a “best” and “worst” meeting experience. How do you […]