1 © FSG |

Bridging the Opportunity Gap:

The Power of Collective Impact

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

2 © FSG |

Agenda for session

1 Introduction

2 Overview of Collective Impact

3 Small Group Sessions

4 Report Outs and Call to Action

3 © FSG |

FSG is a mission-focused consulting firm that

works across sectors to drive social change

Hands On Consulting Idea Generation Communities of Practice

We conduct about 100

consulting projects per year.

We are experts in strategic

planning, learning and

evaluation, implementation

and organizational change.

Through papers, articles,

blogs and webinars, we

influence more than 250,000

people per year. Recent

groundbreaking ideas from

FSG include Collective

Impact and Shared Value.

With the goal of advancing

knowledge and practice, we

currently host communities

for community foundations,

as well as for practitioners of

Shared Value and Collective

Impact.

Sample Clients Sample Content Partners Current Communities

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We have worked with over 100 large companies and

have observed a real shift in societal engagement

• Wide range of

issues and

approaches

• Responsive to

local and

stakeholder

needs

• Large number

of small grants

Clustered Concentrated Ecosystem

Change Confetti

• Focus on a few

“buckets” of

issues

• Issues typically

aligned to

company or

employee

interests

• Focused, multi-

year signature

initiative in one

theme

• Leverages a

range assets

such as

funding,

volunteers, and

core business

• Structured

cross-sector

collaboration to

affect systems

change

• Addresses

complex social

problems

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Why ecosystem change? – A myriad of actors

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Why ecosystem change? – A myriad of factors

Parental

approval

Family

history

of abuse

Low perception of

parental monitoring

substance

free after-

school

activities

Family

involvement in a

child’s life

Laws and ordinances are

consistently enforced Availability- Retailers are

willing to sell to minors

Availability- Use in

social situations

Parental

attitudes

against abuse

Pro-Use

culture

Physician

interactions with

patients

Positive youth

dev. goals

Risk-taking

behaviors

Availability-

access at

schools

Availability-

Household

Low academic

performance

Education /

awareness

Places for disposal

of substances

Community

awareness of

abuse

Caring

parents

Stable

household

Unstable

household

Parent-

child

dialogue

Household

use of

substances

Having

friends

who

abuse

Family provides

structures, rules,

limits

Early age of

onset Delayed age of

onset

Policies exist to limit

use and availability

Adequate resources for

treatment and recovery

Positive

teacher

expectations

Partnership

between schools

and families

Youth

involve-

ment

School

counseling

Peers

disapprove

of use

Schools

have high

rates of

academic

failure

Low family and community

engagement with schools

Leadership

opportunities for

students Afford-

ability of

substance

Availability-

prescriber practices

Media

advertise-

ments

Peers accept

substance use

Inconsistent policy

enforcement

Low academic

performance

and motivation

Positive

media

messages

Norms

against

abuse

Clear

rules and

messages

around

substance

use

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Why ecosystem change? – A labyrinth of processes

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To be able to apply systems change strategies to

complex systems challenges – what has to be true?

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Agenda for session

1 Introduction

2 Overview of Collective Impact

3 Small Group Sessions

4 Report Outs and Call to Action

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The five conditions of collective impact

What do they mean, really?

Common

agenda

All participants share a vision for change that includes a

common understanding of the problem and a joint

approach to solving the problem through agreed-upon actions

1

Shared

measurement system

All participants agree on how to measure and report on

progress, with a short list of common indicators identified

and used to drive learning and improvement

2

Mutually

reinforcing activities

A diverse set of stakeholders, typically across sectors,

coordinate a set of differentiated activities through a

mutually reinforcing plan of action

3

Continuous

communication

All players engage in frequent and structured open

communication to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and

create common motivation

4

Backbone

support

An independent, dedicated staff (with funding) guides

the initiative’s vision and strategy, supports aligned

activities, establishes shared measurement practices, builds

public will, advances policy, and mobilizes resources

5

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The five conditions of collective impact

For the visual learners in the room

partner-driven

action

strategic guidance

and support = community

partner (e.g.,

nonprofit, funder,

business, public

agency, parent) Community partners

working on strategies

Backbone

support

• Guides strategy

• Supports

aligned activities

• Establishes

shared

measurement

• Builds public will

• Advances policy

• Mobilizes

resources

Steering

committee

Work

group

Work

group

Work

group Work

group

Chair Chair

Chair

Chair

Chair

Chair

Chair

Chair

Common agenda and shared metrics

* Adapted from Listening to the Stars: The Constellation Model of Collaborative Social Change, by Tonya Surman and Mark Surman, 2008.

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Collective impact in practice

Juvenile Justice Reform in Douglas County, NE

Across Douglas County, our vision is a comprehensive, coordinated, and community-wide

approach to juvenile services that eliminates the need for youth involvement with our justice

system while maintaining public safety. For all youth who do enter our justice system, our goals

are to provide effective, compassionate and individualized support that empowers youth

and their families to succeed and to build an environment of mutual trust and accountability.

Backbone Executive Director | Program Manager | Data Analyst

Steering

committee

20 leaders from

• County government

• Juvenile court

• Legal community

• Probation

• Detention

• Law enforcement

• Service providers

• Philanthropy

• School system

Youth Council

15-20 former or

current system

involved youth

(“Juvenile Justice

League”)

Work

group

Chair

Chair

7 Work Groups with a

total of over 120 people

• Families

• Schools

• Prevention

• Case processing

• Equity

• Data

• Policy

Community

300+ stakeholders

engaged through

• Interviews

• Focus groups

• Community events

• Site visits

• Online forum

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Collective impact is getting results

o In five years…

Track K-readiness, 3rd grade reading, HS graduation

By year five, 40 of 53 tracked student outcome indicators

moving in right direction

In Education

o 5,000 public housing

residents in new jobs

in five years

In Workforce Development

o 45% fewer youth

entering systems, no

decline in public safety

In Juvenile Justice Reform

o In eight years…

46% reduction in binge drinking

44% reduction in smoking

28% reduction in marijuana use

In Youth Substance Abuse Prevention

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There are many nascent and established collective

impact efforts and supports in Atlanta and in Georgia

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Collective impact only makes sense under certain

circumstances

Influential Champions

• Champions are respected by and have

ability to engage cross-sector leaders

• Government leadership is engaged

Urgency for Change

• Critical, complex problem in the

community

• Frustration with existing approaches

Availability of Resources

• Committed, potential funding partners

with sustained funding for 3 – 5 years for

the collective impact infrastructure

Basis for Collaboration

• Trusted relationships among cross-

sector actors

• Existing collaborative efforts

READINESS APPROPRIATENESS

Addressing the issue will require

leaders and organizations from

multiple sectors or systems,

including “strange bedfellows”

Addressing the issue will require

different kinds of interventions

or strategies (e.g., data, policy,

awareness, coordination,

identifying new solutions, etc.) at

the systems level and not just

replication of programs and

services

The issue impacts a significant*

part of the population and does

so in varied geographies

* Defining “significant” is more art than science

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The key for success in collective impact is

understanding these mindset shifts

Technical solutions

to problems

Adaptive solutions

to problems

Silver bullet Silver buckshot

Credit hoarded Credit as shared

currency

Focus on evidence Focus on evidence

and relationships

Source: Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work, 2012; Essential Mindset Shifts for Collective Impact; 2014.

Content expertise Content and

context expertise

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Agenda for session

1 Introduction

2 Overview of Collective Impact

3 Small Group Sessions

4 Report Outs and Call to Action

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Set-up

• Since Robert Putnam was with us this morning, we will

continue on the topic of OUR KIDS…

• Creating a better system for our kids will take many puzzle

pieces coming together – today we will suspend disbelief

and IMAGINE SUCCESS in metro Atlanta on four of these

1) A comprehensive

system from prenatal

to kindergarten

2) A seamless network

of in-school and out-

of-school support

3) A smooth pipeline

from high-school to

college and career

4) An engaged and aligned cadre of advocates for education reform

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Specifics

• Read your custom vignette

• Then discuss the following

questions as a small group…

dare to dream!

– What were the key elements,

however surprising, in securing this

dramatic positive progress?

– What measures of progress were

identified and tracked along the way?

– What was the unique contribution of

the business community?

– What other sectors were at the table

and what role did they play?

– How were they convinced to join the

effort?

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Agenda for session

1 Introduction

2 Overview of Collective Impact

3 Small Group Sessions

4 Report Outs and Call to Action

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Report outs

What did your small group determine as the

key recipe for success in getting to the

breakthrough described in your vignette?

What did your small group determine the unique

role of the business community to have been?

What new insights about collective impact did

this small group experience trigger for you?

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