The resources of individual agencies are rapidly becoming inadequate to meet increasing public welfare demands. This inadequacy is especially apparent in rural areas, where difficulties with retaining specialists and problems with service accessibility and consumer choice create additional challenges for public program administration.
Today, the public welfare industry accepts the pooling of resources, economy of scale, and a cooperative environment as customary solutions. And now, this collaboration occurs at almost all levels of the industry. Governmental agencies, providers, local volunteers, stakeholders, and more recently, charitable institutions, are developing short-term and long-term alliances.
Despite the increased use of collaboration, these initiatives leave much room for improvement. Collaboration often results from a crisis, or from the charisma and passion of a visionary, but fails to become sustainable before the excitement dies out. Once participants see that their partnership requires the hard work of showing respect and including others, their initial enthusiasm may fade. Disappointment may set in when partners recognize that they must make an investment before their collaboration produces benefits. Frustration and disillusionment may result if participants do not share a guiding philosophy.
Collaboration requires work, commitment, patience, and open-mindedness to be successful. But if partners put forth this effort, their collaboration can satisfy the following public welfare needs:
- At the case management level: Collaboration improves case management decisions and makes service delivery more timely and comprehensive.
- At the system management level: Collaboration increases efficiency, improves the availability and allocation of resources, fosters more comprehensive benefit packages, and reduces administrative costs.
- Across administrative boundaries: Multi-county collaboration, for example, allows partners to engage in projects that may not be feasible for individual participants.
- Among stakeholders: Collaboration among public agencies, private providers, and consumers, for example, helps participants exercise their rights and discharge their obligations to achieve jointly defined objectives.
- At the community level: Collaboration engages community resources to dramatically improve public systems.
We are pleased to offer your organization our broad experience in launching, evaluating, and sustaining public welfare collaborative initiatives.