What does it mean to collaborate?
COLLABORATE: from the Latin com-, together and –laborare, to labor
To labor together
- Collaboration is “…more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective….” -Wikipedia
Why collaborate?
Collaboration…
- …creates “…honored partnerships between communities, developers and government agencies to ensure that the costs of public land disposition and development are not borne unfairly by those that can least afford them.”
-East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) 2008 or Karen Gibson
- … results in outcomes such as;
- Affordable housing
- Job opportunities
- Neighborhood services
- Maintained and/or better access to public assets (parks and schools)
- Fostered trust between all stakeholders
- Engaged and empowered community members
- “…offers local officials a more predictable process towards shared prosperity”, which mitigates risks.
-East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) 2008 or Karen Gibson
These partnerships that collaboration facilitates also “provide clarity of purpose to decision makers as they decide how to use their resources to tackle community problems. “
-East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) 2008 or Karen Gibson
How to Collaborate
“Collaboration requires a deep knowledge and trust of other collaborators. Though one member or another of the group may take a leadership or facilitative role, each member of a collaboration keeps the whole in mind and works toward the common mission.”
–Dr. Richard White
The Triple Bottom line provides a holistic approach to decision making through collaboration. With the ability to focus on common interests, which all stakeholders agree upon, attention can be diverted away from the specifics of individual stakeholder interests and mitigate the “us vs. them” mentality so many communities find themselves trapped in.
- The Triple Bottom line consists of three main objectives;
- People; social equity
- Planet; environment of quality
It is generally believed that with these three objectives in mind stakeholders in a community, including the community residents themselves, can form a collaborative in which best possible outcomes are achieved.
Taking these three main objectives, a metric should be devised which clearly identifies the criteria for meeting each individual objective. These criteria should be developed with the whole community in mind, and should draw on ideas and values of as many stakeholders as possible, including residents, developers, government agencies, businesses, etc. Many people and agencies share common values; problems arise when these values are given different priority. When the hierarchy of values can be established, then it can be seen clearly where the common threads run.
Even with The Triple Bottom Line in consideration, it is important to understand and respect that each set of stakeholders may have a different driving force, as well as different available avenues for achieving each objective. With this in mind, it can be discerned that an outcome is less important than its impact. For instance, stakeholders may have different visions for surplus land, that vision ultimately cannot take the front seat, yet rather must yield to the main objectives. It is less important than whether a community center is built or new business spaces developed, but rather that social equity, quality environment and prosperous economy are all achieved via the criteria provided through the metric.
