This document discusses a new approach called Strategic Doing that was developed to improve collaboration between government entities. It describes how Strategic Doing started in the 1990s and was used successfully in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Indiana to form over 200 collaborations between counties, achieving results that exceeded goals. The document advocates that governments adopt Strategic Doing to build trust through collaboration and address challenges like shrinking budgets through cooperative networks instead of consolidation alone. It proposes establishing a Collaboration Acceleration Lab to help more governments implement this approach.

1. Strategic Doing
Collaboration Acceleration for Indiana Counties
Ed Morrison
December 4, 2014

2. Frustrated
with old
systems?

3. Had enough?
Source: Clipart by C Charley-Franzwa - http://clipartof.com/50191

4. You’ve got company
Location of Purdue workshops

5. We have
developed
something
better

6. We have
cracked the
code on
collaboration

7. “The best methodology I have seen
in 20 years.”
Paul Collits
President
Australia New Zealand Regional Science Association

8. Why
Collaborate?

9. State and local finances are
tanking everywhere
State and local operating balance for the U.S.

10. What will Indiana’s county
government look like in 2030?

11. Governments in Indiana
Counites 92
Townships 1,008
Cities 117
Towns 451
Schools 293
Libraries 239
Special Districts 886
Total 3,086
“…the complexity of
local government has
actually grown,
compounding over
time.”
Kernan-Shepard Report, 2007

12. The Solution
Consolidate
Squeeze out the waste

13. But: Playing Musical Chairs
Grinds Everything to a Halt

14. Let’s face it: The original design
is very resistant to change
Northwest Ordinance
of 1787

15. There’s another
way forward

16. First…The
Backstory

17. We are sitting in the midst of
a really big transition…

18. The foundations of our
economy are shifting…
Grandfather Grandchildren

19. Networks move us to new
opportunities

20. Strategic Doing started in an
Oklahoma City garage in 1993

21. Oklahoma City today
Photo by: Luke Barrett

23. Also: adjusting to globalization in
Kentucky, 1997-2000
Muhlenberg
Caldwell
Spencer Owen Scott
Green
Hart Metcalfe Adair
Ohio
Edmonson
Rockcastle
Estill
Knox
Greenup
Morgan
Pike
Lewis
Fayette
Union
Mercer
McCracken
Hopkins

24. Fast Forward, Indiana, 2005

25. “Transform your
Workforce System”
The federal government
• 13 regions nationally
• $15 million each
• 3 years to innovate

26. “Do the math…”
$15 million = $1 million
14 counties +
Purdue
each
County official

27. “Nope. Build the
collaborations.”
Vic Lechtenberg, Purdue
• 60+ collaborations
• 100+ partners
• 200+ metrics
• 80% sustained past initial funding
• 2 staff hired

28. Over 200 metrics tracked

29. Filling the skills gap
Now being deployed
across Indiana

30. First National Green Collar Certification

31. The National STEM Guitar Project

32. Highest concentration of Project
Lead the Way Schools in the country

34. Purdue’s partners in Strategic Doing

35. Result: We exceeded goals by
almost 3X
30,000
22,500
15,000
7,500
0
Goal Result
2.7 X
2.9 X
2.7 X
Began Training Completed Training Degrees/Certificates

36. With 8% of the money…40% of
the national results
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Money
Results

37. It comes down
to this…

38. Thinking in New Ways

39. Prosperity is not
“winner take all”
Source: Clipart by C Charley-Franzwa - http://clipartof.com/50191

40. Learn to Link and Leverage

41. Behaving in New Ways

42. In a democracy, civility matters
…a lot

43. Building trust takes tons of
doing…

44. Doing in New Ways

46. Build and test collaborations
quickly with agile strategy
Strategic Planning Strategic Doing

47. Alignments emerge…

48. Strategy
answers
2 questions

49. We convert 2 questions into 4

50. A 30/30 commitment drives
learning and adjustments

51. What would a Collaboration
Acceleration Lab look like?
Interested? Connect:
http:strategicdoing.net/aic

52. Focus on the
needs of our
customer…