Early on the word collaboration was tossed around lightly. We know that it is important, but on paper it appears a lot easier than it is. It's slow and messy, and it's what you have to have for long-term success. Alice Day, Longview, Texas Collaboration works best when it is natural, not forced. Lots of early collaborations feel, and really are, forced.
Collaboration is looser than most of the promotional pieces on it suggest.
The change in relationships and the experience of authentic collaboration that characterized civic change work in the Pew Partnership communities flourished within a climate of expectation that the work would be long term. The presumption that it is important to address issues that must be addressed across time influenced many Partners' decisions, from choice of issue to investment in learning, relationship building, and true collaboration. Early on people are looking for just the right program that is going to fix things. For example, when our City Council created the Longview Drug Task Force they had in mind winning the war on drugs. Now we don't find that metaphor very helpful.