Together We Can was developed to help communities improve the coordination of education and health and human services for at-risk children and families. While the book mainly serves as a guide for communities interested in creating a system of integrated services, Part II, Realizing the Vision, offers a framework for collaboration and partnerships that is useful for all types of collaborative efforts. Getting Together Involving the Right People Collaboratives must form a web of alliances that represents the interests and resources of the entire community. When recruiting partners, organizers should look for people who will bring clout, commitment, and diversity to the table.
Clout refers to the ability to act for and allocate resources on behalf of one's organization.
Make sure that your key contact person in you partnering agency is either the head of the organization or someone who is clearly authorized to speak for them. Commitment relies not only on intentions but actions. Diversity requires that the partnering organizations reflect a wide range of skills and expertise and a cross-section of ethnic, racial, and cultural perspectives. Shared Leadership A collaborative is most effective when all partners exercise leadership. Partners need to work collegially instead of dominating those they perceive as less powerful.