Creating a Collaboration Culture
In August 2016, the Public Service Commission (PSC) Advisory Board
commissioned a review on collaboration in the NSW Public Sector. The Review
follows on from work commissioned by the PSC Advisory Board in 2013, which
resulted in a research report and a guidance tool (known as the Collaboration
Blueprint) which collaborative partners can use to guide the collaboration
process.
Collaboration Review
This Review focuses on collaboration in
the Human Services sector. Since 2013, the
drivers for collaboration in this sector to
improve customer, delivery and community
outcomes have been given fresh impetus
by the Government’s commissioning and
contestability agenda.
Effective collaboration results in outcomes
that could not be achieved otherwise.1 This
is because collaboration draws on a broader
pool of ideas and approaches. The Review
found that in some areas of the Human
Services sector the use of collaboration is
growing. There are positive examples of
collaborative projects aimed at redesigning
services, coordinating place based activities
and working across agency siloes.
Refer to the full Collaboration Review document to the right.
1Helen Dickinson, Helen Sullivan, 2014,
Imagining the 21st century public service
workforce, Melbourne School of Government,
p37
Collaboration Review Case Studies
Case Study: Co-design in Western
Sydney & Nepean Blue Mountains
The Safe Home for Life legislative reforms
aim at improving outcomes for vulnerable
children and young people, with a particular
focus on increasing the number of children
and young people at risk of significant harm
who receive a face-to-face response.
Read more about the Linker Network Case Study
Background
There is a long history of quality service
delivery in the 12 suburbs that comprise
the Mt Druitt postcode (2770), but despite
significant government investment, outcomes
for vulnerable children and their families have
not been improving.23 Having recognised
this issue, Family and Community Services
provided short term funding to two NGOs
(Ten 20 and United Way) in 2014 to develop a
business case for a Collective Impact initiative
in the area. This initiative is now known as
The HIVE.
Read more about the HIVE Case Study
Background
There has been a strong history of
collaboration between the NSW public
sector, NGOs (Community), clinicians and
research bodies since the beginning of the
AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. This case study
focuses on the recent collaboration between
the sectors following the introduction of the
NSW HIV Strategy 2012-15.
Read more about the Ending HIV Case Study
Trigger for collaboration on the Coledale Action Plan
In 2012 there was concern in the Tamworth
community about crime levels within
Coledale and their impact on the broader
Tamworth area. These concerns were raised
in the local media and culminated in a Town
Hall community meeting attended by the
NSW State Attorney General.
Read more about the Coledale Community, Tamworth Case Study
Collaboration between sectors to improve customer outcomes for citizens of NSW
Download the full report (PDF 4.4MB)
The collaboration blueprint provides an overview of the elements to consider when deciding on ‘why’, ‘with whom’ and ‘how’ to collaborate. It is based on a review of collaboration literature as well as insights and experience from practitioners in the public, private and not for profit sectors.
This collaboration blueprint consists of:
- A high-level depiction of a collaboration framework
- Guidance about how to apply the framework
- A detailed version of the collaboration framework
This blueprint is a guide. It is designed as a tool to form the basis of discussions within and between potential collaborating organisations. It does not provide ‘yes or no’ answers. Rather, it is intended to guide consideration of the potential or existing collaboration. The blueprint may also trigger new questions to consider specific to different types of collaboration projects.
Collaboration blueprint