Summary of Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work By Fay Hanleybrown, John Kania, & Mark Kramer Stanford

Social Innovation Review, 2012 This is a quick summary of Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work with key points that are applicable to the future of the Efficient Government Network. Please read the article for yourself for the full impact.

An in-depth look at how organizations of all types, acting in diverse settings, are implementing a collective impact approach to solve large-scale social problems. 1) Be realistic about the time it will take to get through the initial organizing stages. 2) Collective impact efforts are most effective when they build from what already exists; honoring current efforts and engaging established organizations. The Five Conditions of Collective Impact Common Agenda All participants have a shared vision for change including a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through agreed upon actions. Clear boundaries must also be created to accomplish goals. Can have great impact on its own without the following four components. Shared Measurement Collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other accountable. Requires strong leadership, funding and ongoing staffing. Mutually Reinforcing Activities Participant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated through a mutually reinforcing plan of action. Continuous Communication Consistent and open communication is needed across the many players to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation. Backbone Support Creating and managing collective impact requires a separate organization(s) with staff and a specific set of skills to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative and coordinate participating organizations and agencies. creating and managing collective impact requires a separate organization and staff with a very specific set of skills to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative. Funders must be willing to support an open-ended process over many years, satisfied in knowing that they are contributing to large scale and sustainable social impact, without being able to take credit for any specific result that is directly attributable to their funding Examples of organization and community success using collective impact, including but not limited to: Franklin County, Massachusetts: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and Communities That Care Coalition of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Chicago, Illinois: Opportunity Chicago Calgary, Canada: Vibrant Communities and Calgary Homeless Foundation Preconditions for collective impact change: 1. Influential champion 2. Adequate financial resources 3. Sense of urgency for change Three Phases of Collective Impact: 1. Initiate Action 2. Organize for Impact 3. Sustain Action