Cissy's note: I don't have a public health background and am constantly learning about sectors and cross-sector work as relates to work related to all things ACEs and ACEs science. I found it heartening that most of the public is as confused as I was about what cross-sector work is and how and why it can be innovative and effective.
Like most people, I assumed this working together was already happening some or most of the time. So, when I heard about cross-sector models as innovative I wasn't as clued in or as impressed as I might have been. I didn't know it wasn't already happening and hasn't happened all that much in the past. This is the surprising thing for many people. I am one of those people.
I realize this kind of stuff might be REALLY obvious to a lot of other people and maybe makes me sound dum to admit how confusing or new it was to me. But I was confused, for a long time, which means others are as well including you or people you work with or know. So, for those steeped in sector stuff, this article about what the public thinks might be illuminating. And, for those who are still getting a handle on the concepts - you aren't alone.
This article, written by Neil Britto was published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review several months ago. Here's an excerpt.
When communicating stories of successful collaboration, include elements that give your audience a clear understanding of what cross-sector collaboration is and can achieve. Focus group participants had the opportunity to evaluate case studies of cross-sector collaboration. Their varying reactions point toward three elements that result in more effective stories of success:
- Explain how the collaboration succeeded where past efforts did not and how the involvement of multiple sectors made a difference, whether through a new strategy, additional resources, or removing political barriers.
- Clarify that all sectors genuinely contributed to the effort. In cases where the role of one or two sectors appears trivial, people focused on that element, undercutting their appreciation for the initiative.
- Focus on specific community outcomes that improved. Cases that discuss changes in process but not actual outcomes proved less compelling.
One of the most interesting findings from these focus groups was that people believe both that government is the root of most modern problems and that it is government’s responsibility to solve them. While the public may express a desire for better government, many citizens are actually seeking better governance—a better process for solving public problems. Governance today requires more than just government. Yet our focus groups showed that cross-sector collaboration is not yet top of mind for most people and has only passive support. If individuals were more aware of how cross-sector collaboration influences their lives and the use of their tax dollars, they might be more invested in how groups are using it in their communities. For this reason, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and other civic-minded organizations have an important role to play in effectively communicating their experiences with cross-sector collaboration to relevant leaders, the media, and the general public.
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