Taking Collaboration to the Next Level: Assessing and Enhancing Your Partnerships

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Taking Collaboration to the Next Level
Assessing and Enhancing Your Partnerships

• Dr. Christopher Smith, University of Kansas
• Linda Broyles, SEK-CAP Head Start
• Mary Baskett, Kansas Head Start Association
• Carrie Hastings, Kansas HS State Collaboration
  Office

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Presentation Outline

• Setting the Context Kansas Early Childhood
  Block Grants
• Defining and Describing Collaboration What does
  it really mean?
• Developing a new assessment tool
• Using the tool in the field
• Applying what weve learned to your needs
• Q A

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Setting the Context

• Kansas Early Childhood Block Grants
• 11 million fund approved by legislature in 2008
• Part of the Childrens Initiatives Fund created
  through the tobacco settlement
• Administered by the Childrens Cabinet
• 30 set aside for infant/toddler services
• Grants focused on at-risk children in unserved
  and underserved areas
• Evidence-based practices
• Strong accountability measures

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Setting the Context

• Two grants involving HS and EHS
• Kansas Early Learning Collaborative
• 6 statewide early learning organizations
• State agencies could partner but not be the lead
• 6 million to expand and enhance services within
  local collaboratives (EHS, PAT, infant/toddler
  child care, Healthy Families)
• Initial focus on 12 counties identified through
  an assessment of risk factors, readiness and
  level of interest/commitment

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Setting the Context

• Two grants involving HS and EHS
• Demonstration Projects for the Kansas Preschool
  Program (KPP)
• Collaborative model based on successful pre-K
  pilots
• 3 diverse communities, where Head Start is not
  part of the school district
• Facilitator works with local teams, including
  school district, special needs administration,
  Head Start and child care, to plan integrated
  classrooms
• Classrooms will begin serving children in August.
• Process is documented into a learning model for
  other communities.

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CollaborationWhat Does It Really Mean?
Collaboration
Coalition
Coordination
Cooperation
Networking
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CollaborationWhat Does It Really Mean?

• One definition
• A successful collaborative process enables a
  group of people and organizations to combine
  their complementary knowledge, skills and
  resources so they can accomplish more together
  than they can on their own.
• Collaboration isnt necessarily the end point
  on the spectrum.
• What we wanted is for each team to define success
  for itself and move toward that goal.

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CollaborationWhat Does It Really Mean?

• We defined a collaborative process or a
  partnership as three-dimensional
• Structure Information sharing, communication,
  roles and decision-making (Levels of
  Collaboration Scale)
• Culture Beliefs, values, sense of commitment,
  level of trust (Partnership Assessment Scale)
• Service Integration Environments, workforce,
  support to children and families (Focus of
  Services Scale)

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Collaboration What Does It Really Mean?

• We needed a tool that could serve many functions
• Assess the current status of the partnership
  across all dimensions (needs assessment)
• Inform the dialogue among partners in a
  constructive, non-threatening way (facilitation)
• Guide planning for positive change (strategic
  planning)
• Provide periodic feedback through repeat
  assessments (continuous improvement)

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An Example of Scale Use

• Three versions of the form are used two
  individual scoring forms and a consensus form
• Individuals in the group scored the items without
  discussion (individual scores are collected
  separately)
• The group discussed each item and scored them
  with only a consensus score
• Individuals re-scored each item based on their
  new perceptions and group interactions
  (individual scores are collected separately)

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• Levels of Collaboration Scale

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• Partnership Assessment Scale

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• Focus of Services Scale

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Sois this tool effective?

• The tool can be used effectively in large and
  small groupsit is versatile
• The tool opens the lines of communication
• The tool equalizes all partners
• The tool collects valuable baseline data to
  measure where your group stands in regards to
  working in a collaborative process.
• Use of a tool to measure collaboration can affect
  practice

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How do you prepare to use the tool?

• Gather all partnersit is critical not to leave
  anyone out because it is hard to catch up later
• Meet in a neutral place where all partners feel
  comfortable
• Set ground rules for collaborative sessions
• Gain agreement from partners to work to consensus
• Thoroughly discuss the desired outcomes of the
  activity

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How will all partners benefit from using
a tool to measure collaboration?

• The data will shows the groups strengths and
  areas needing improvement
• Using the tool saves timethe group knows what
  they know and discovers what they dont know!
• The tool is a relationship builder
• Results are shared with everyone in the group and
  other partners you may want to attract
• Results are used for future planning and
  continuous improvement

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References for Assessment Tool

• Levels of Collaboration (Structure)Frey, B.B.,
  Lohmeier, J.H., Lee, S.W., and Tollefson, N.
  (2006). Measuring collaboration among grant
  partners. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(3),
  383-392). 
• Partnership Assessment (Culture)Hardy, B.,
  Hudson, B. and Waddington E. (2000). What makes
  a Good Partnership? A Partnership Assessment
  Tool. Leeds Nuffield Institute for Health.
• Focus of Services (Service Integration)Adapted
  from the Pyramid Model of Partnership from the
  Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations
  for Early Learning (CSEFEL), Office of Head Start
  and the Child Care Bureau, Administration for
  Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health
  and Human Services.
•  

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Contact Information

• Mary Baskettmbaskett_at_ksheadstart.org
• Linda Broyleslindab_at_sek-cap.com
• Carrie Hastingscarrie.hastings_at_srs.ks.gov