1. DEVELOPING POWERFUL
PARTNERSHIPS:
COMMON SENSE APPROACHES TO
WORKING CROSS SYSTEM
Tuesday, November 15, 2011

2. Agenda
 Welcome & Introductions
 Frame of Partnership Work
 “Stuff” and Self Interest Activity
 Getting Traction in this Work
 Close

3. PARTNER
SHIPS
COMMUNITY BASED
HEALTH/HUMAN ORGANIZATIONS
SERVICES
WORKFORCE
EDUCATION
CIVIC & RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS
ADULT/JUVENILLE
JUSTICE YOUNG ADULTS &
FAMILIES
School & Main Institute, Inc.

4. PARTNERSHIPS
School & Main Institute, Inc.

5. Why Work Cross-System?
 Broad-based ownership of the need and its
solution
 Convening mechanism/forum for exploring
common interests and agendas
 Broad view of system assets
 Cost effective delivery of certain functions/support
 Integration of efforts – avoids duplication
 Leverage
 Potentially smarter, faster, stronger responses to
need…
 Better outcomes for customers (young
adults/families)
School & Main Institute, Inc. for service providers
 Better outcomes

6. Your “Stuff”
Activity:
Thinking about working across systems in
your state or local area – as a group -
brainstorm a list of the
pilots, programs, initiatives, projects, organi
zations, efforts, etc. that have anything to do
with preparing 18-24 year-olds to be
successful in your state or local area.
[5 minutes – list them at your table]
School & Main Institute, Inc.

7. Stuff – continued
Take a moment to address the following
questions:
• How is your “Stuff” connected?
• How are we working together?
• Do we need more “Stuff”?

8. The Challenge of Working Cross-
System
If this is such a good idea – why is it so hard:
Not
Add On?
What We
Add In?
Do
History
and How?
Tradition

9. Keys to Collaborative Success
New Thinking
Collective Action Mutual
Self-
Interests
Collaborative Vision of
Infrastructure Results
Foundation Building Blocks
School & Main Institute, Inc.

10. Partner Self Interests
1. Why is it in your and/or your
organization’s self interest to
participate in cross-system
collaborative work in your state/local
area?
2. In 12-18 months from now, what do
you and/or your organization need to
be getting on an on-going basis in
order to stay engaged in this work?
Identify your most critical need.
School & Main Institute, Inc.

11. Examples of Partner Self
Interest
Employers  Trained workforce = Reduced costs
 More customers
Education  Higher graduation/retention rates
 Greater community support
 Job security
Law Enforcement  Prevention efforts initiated earlier
 All hands on deck
Community-Based  Greater involvement and access
Organizations to business and schools
 Increased potential for financial
support

12. Partner Self Interest Cont’d
Post-Secondary  Higher enrollment
 Connection to and credibility with the
business community
18-24 Year Olds  Education/employment outcomes
Parents  Kids not living in my basement at 27
 More efficient use of educational
resources
Government
 Increased credibility
 More stable tax base
 Avoid costly problems later on

13. Infrastructure for
Powerful Partnerships
Leadership Functions Planning Functions Implementation Functions
• Ensure Creation of Vision • Create Implementation Plans
or Revise Based on • Form Implementation Teams
• Market Vision • Design and Implement
Proposed Improvements
• Recruit Critical Partners Strategies
• Secure Needed Resources
• Assign Staff • Propose Improvements Based
• Become Chairs of
• Ensure Resources Available on Evaluation Results
Implementation Teams
• Determine Operating Structure • Identify Resource Needs
• Recruit Implementers
• Approve Implementation Plans • Recruit More Implementation
• Orient and Supervise
or Proposed Improvements Team Members
Implementation Work
• Clear Blocks / Barriers • Identify Problems / Barriers
• Target and Solve
• Ensure Policy Development • Identify Needed Policy
Problems / Barriers
and Changes Changes
• Report to Leaders
• Ensure Expansion • Access & Use Data to
• Advocate for Policy Changes
• Access & Use Data to Design & Design and Implement
• Endorse Expansion
Implement Improvement Improvement Strategies
• Access & Use Data to Design
Strategies
& Implement Improvement
Strategies
School & Main Institute,

14. How Will You Organize
Yourselves To Get The Work
Done?
 Where are we strong?
 Where do we need to focus our attention?
 How can we better involve business & industry
partners?
 Do we have a collaborative structure that will
support this work – if not, what do we need to do
to create one?
School & Main Institute, Inc.

15. The Challenge of Collaboration
Staff facilitate, partners
do.
School & Main Institute, Inc.

16. When You Work
Collaboratively…
 Its about us
 Make sure you are a verb – be careful of
nouns
 Review your self interest question often
 Evaluate your collaboration – prove that
by working together you are getting more
done
 Find common language and nurture it
 Connect what you have - Activity

17. Need More Information?
Andy Beck
School & Main Institute
anbeck@schoolandmain.org
617-227-2100 x 111