Phase 3. Creating a Shared Vision

Welcome to Creating a Shared Vision! This phase of the Collaborative Change Cycle is all about refining the focus of collaborative efforts and formalising the approach, infrastructure and resources required to achieve shared goals.

creating a shared vision

In the ‘Creating a Shared Vision for Change’ phase

You will be working to formalise the focus of your collaborative efforts, brokering agreement on an approach. The group would be confirming your common agenda by: agreeing on an issue to address and goals for change; articulating the ‘new way of working’ (or systems change) needed to achieve the goals; creating a roadmap for achieving those goals; identifying strategies that align with the agenda that have been demonstrated to work; and implementing new strategies based on testing and learning so far. At this stage it would be clear who will coordinate the work and there would be funding for some or all of the ‘backbone’ functions. At this stage, a leadership group would: be confirmed to ensure that it is clear how decisions are made; have diverse cross-sector membership including community: and include a Terms of Reference or other rules and processes to ensure good governance and transparency. This is also an important stage for ensuring that a measurement and learning framework has been developed to measure, evaluate and learn through the change agenda.

How do you know you are at the ‘Creating a Shared Vision for Change’ phase?

Some of the things you may see happening in your community include...

Relationships are stronger and there is sufficient trust in the commitment to work differently.
Community members feel they are critical partners in delivering long term change and are aware of what is going on and how they can get involved.
Momentum is building, and consistent messages are emerging about the goal and approach to achieve it.
There is broad cross-sector advocacy for the initiative and change goals, and a willingness to share resources and networks to move the issue forward.
There is a focus on moving to agreement and action and community led initiatives are emerging.
The agenda is being built out through assumptions being tested about the conditions that hold the problem in place - questions are openly asked; learnings are being gathered thorough early wins or test and try projects and a theory of change is being developed.
Leaders are known by community and partners, are growing in their appreciation of each other’s individual strengths, and are beginning to collaborate with each other as a way of doing business.
A 'backbone' entity is taking up a role in guiding the development of the agenda and facilitating learning.
People are starting to explore how funds could be managed in a more holistic way. Partners are aligning resources to improve community-level outcomes and systems change goals.
Partners are aligning resources to improve community-level outcomes and systems change goals and philanthropic organisations are committed partners in the change process.

Creating a Shared Vision Case studies

Hands Up Mallee

Maranguka Justice Reinvestment Project

Logan Together: Case Study

SMBI Families We Are Listening

Gladstone: Possibilities for change through a collective impact approach

Far West SA: Possibilities for change through a collective impact approach

CHANGE | Creating a Shared Vision: Leadership

Leadership

Building Leadership in this phase will involve convening a diverse range of influencers to authorise the collaboration and explore a shared vision for change over the medium to long term, and committing to community ownership as an extension of community leadership.

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CHANGE | Creating a Shared Vision: Collaboration

Collaboration

Building Collaboration in this phase will involve formalising a community decision making structure, developing a roadmap for change to deliver the shared agenda, strengthening processes for diverse membership, and ensuring that community voice and perspective are embedded in the agenda and plan of action.

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CHANGE | Creating a Shared Vision: Community

Community

Building Community in this phase will involve ensuring that community are genuine partners in negotiations and agreements, and that there are explicit and transparent links between community participation, the vision for change and action plans.

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CHANGE | Creating a Shared Vision: Measurement

Measurement

Building Measurement in this phase will involve formalising a measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework focused on the performance of the backbone, the partnership, the intended system level impacts, and identifying broad data needs for continuous learning and communication.

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CHANGE | Creating a Shared Vision: Innovation

Innovation

Building Innovation in this phase will involve continuing to engage new actors and different levels of the system, adapting approach and focus as new learning emerges and measuring innovation approaches.

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Leadership
Collaboration
Community
Measurement
Innovation

3. Creating a Shared Vision | Government

Role of Government

In the phase ‘Creating a Shared Vision for Change’ a common agenda is emerging together with a roadmap to guide the work. Purpose and roles are becoming clearer. You will be asked how government programs or services can be aligned to the agenda. The role of government in this phase includes: connector, influencer, champion, learner and funder.

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3. Creating a Shared Vision | Philantropy

Role of Philantropy

Being part of the agenda setting process is exciting. With the foundations of engagement, mapping and learning in place, there is an eagerness – even urgency – to agree a vision for change and shared goals. If you have been supporting the change process, you will likely be part of the agenda setting process.

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