Working in Partnership Chris Huxham

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WorkinginPartnershipChris Huxham
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collaboration research in the Strathclyde
Business School

• 20 years work with people directly involved in
• collaborative initiatives
• consultancy, facilitation, awareness raising, in
  depth interviewing, method development,
  government task force, direct involvement

• concerned with social issues such as
• economic development, poverty alleviation,
  community care, health
• promotion, health delivery, learning disability,
  unemployment, the
• environment, community planning, education

• and the commercial sector such as
• supply chain alliances, property alliances,
  pharmaceutical marketing, small business
  networks, PFI

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collaborative advantage
... something is achieved that could not have
been achieved without the collaboration
government policy in all areas has encouraged
or demanded collaboration
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its a really good forum for bringing services
together it works there are clear outcomes
youth development worker
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there have been 2 or 3 times recently when old
problems have been solved because people now know
who to talk to
police inspector
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collaborative advantage
... something is achieved that could not have
been achieved without the collaboration
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I was involved in a lot of joint projects, but I
gave up on most of them .... there is only so
much time that you can spend in meetings that
dont achieve anything
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the (collaborative) project has worked out but,
oh boy, it has caused pain
senior health promotion officer health promotion
partnership
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the partnership is working very well but it
hasnt delivered anything yet
consultant, energy industry consultancy
partnership
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health board chief executive
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collaborative advantage
... something is achieved that could not have
been achieved without the collaboration
have things changed in 20 years?
government policy in all areas has encouraged
or demanded collaboration
policy initiatives have made people much more
aware of collaboration than they used to be
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..and some people are clearly gaining the
advantage
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But many people are still experiencing the same
problems
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what are the implications for managing to
collaborate?
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managing aims
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the practical conclusion .
sometimes its best to get started on some action
without fully agreeing on aims
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language and culture
eg child care
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power
there are often perceived power differences
between organisations
perceptions may be at odds with reality.... but
people act as though they are real
..... defensiveness, aggression etc ....
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trust
common wisdom
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collaboration structures
collaboration structures can be immensely complex
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complexity
COUNCIL
COUNCIL
COUNCIL
COUNCIL
COUNCIL
HEALTHY CITIES
CITY ALLIANCE
SIPS
COUNCIL
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST
HEALTH BOARD
LHCCs/GPs
HEALTH COUNCIL/ PUBLIC
UNIVERSITY
PRIMARY CARE NHS TRUST
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
NHS TRUST
MEDIA
NHSiS MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE
HEALTH BOARD EMPLOYEES
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES
CITY PARTNERSHIP FORUM
HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE SELECT COMMITTEE
partnership fatigue
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complexity
Regeneration Partnership
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complexity
council department
health trust
health trust
council elected members
health trust
project
agency
voluntary organisation
councillor
council department
Community care partnership
council department
Learning partnership
councillor
council department
council
police
councillor
health board
councillor
university
executive
agency
Learning partnership
council
councillor
association
Staff
voluntary organisation
college
Economic partnership
councillor
council
university
PARTNERSHIP CO-ORDINATION GROUP
college
council
university
university
tourist board
chamber of commerce
voluntary organisation
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
Childrens partnership
council department
agency
Safety partnership
environmental organisation
Environmental partnership
environmental organisation
panel
Staff
environmental organisation
voluntary organisation
voluntary organisation
fire brigade
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
project
voluntary organisation
federation
award scheme
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
association
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
City partnership
voluntary organisation
Environmental partnership
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
SIP
government
environmental organisation
environmental organisation
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dynamics
and they tend to be dynamic, movable feasts
and individuals will make career moves
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its hard to agree aims, build mutual
understanding, manage power relationships, manage
accountabilities and to maintain continuity
in complex, dynamic structures
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the practical conclusion .
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the practical conclusion .
nurture, nurture, nurture
nurture, nurture, nurture
nurture, nurture, nurture
nurture, nurture, nurture
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the spirit of collaboration
? those who lead collaboration successfully
operate from both perspectives and continually
switch between them ?
collaborative thuggery
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5 perspectives
grasping success
1. achieving outcomes
I am looking at the bigger picture, at the
learning that is being gained
Social inclusion partnership manager
We have a robust ante-natal screening programme
and none of the babies to HIV positive mothers
have proved positive
Maternal drug abuse project manager
can be highly varied
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5 perspectives
grasping success
2. getting the process to work
everyones roles are clear its obvious whose
job it is to work with the client on, for
example, helping them to find a job or go to
college
Youth development leader
A significant success on the organizational side
and inter-organizational process side was that 10
pharmaceutical companies, who were natural
competitors, learnt to work with each other
Health partnership manager
can be highly varied
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5 perspectives
grasping success
3. reaching emergent milestones
both needed new premises. The cost was
monstrous. So they decided to sit down and
consider a joint facility. It was jointly
financed and jointly designed on a single site
Public-private banking partnership manager
we just did the report and put it to ministers
It was decided to publish it that was a
realization if it is worth publishing it is
successful
Criminal justice partnership manager
nugatory points can be significant
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5 perspectives
grasping success
4. gaining recognition from others
We are viewed by different organizations as not
being a separate organization. When you go and
have a baby we are regarded as part of the public
health agenda
Maternal drug abuse project manager
I dont get treated like shit any more
not just ends in themselves
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5 perspectives
grasping success
5. acknowledging personal pride
I got an MBE and an Outstanding Achiever of the
Year award
Maternal drug abuse project manager
I willed it to happen and put an awful lot of
time in Health had initially been very
suspicious of the partnership.
Health industry partnership manager
when people portray themselves as heroes
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the challenge of joint working
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WorkinginPartnership
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Table Discussion

• Volunteer
• principal storyteller ( scribe, timekeeper and
  rapporteur)
• Task
• practical suggestions for leadership /
  facilitative / management / participant
  behaviours or activities
• reality check!
• Report back
• - ONE suggestion (2 minutes max!)