WHAT IS COLLABORATION?
Now that you have a good understanding of adaptive management, let’s talk about collaboration and how it relates to the adaptive management process.
Simply put, collaboration means “to work together.” It is a mutually beneficial relationship between two or more parties to achieve common goals by sharing responsibility, authority, and accountability for achieving results.
It is more than simply sharing knowledge and information (communication) and more than a relationship that helps each party achieve its own goals (cooperation and coordination). The purpose of collaboration is to create a shared vision and joint strategies to address concerns that go beyond the purview of any particular party. (Chrislip and Larson 1994 Collaborative Leadership)
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF COLLABORATION WHEN COMBINED WITH ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT?In many instances, adaptive management cannot be successfully implemented by one entity. Instead, a collaborative approach is needed. Collaboration can help overcome key challenges, such as overlapping authority, conflicting decision-making processes, and tensions between stakeholders who work on different issues. Collaborative adaptive management involves two or more stakeholders committed to jointly implementing the adaptive management process.
ROLES
ACTIONS
ACCOUNTABILITY
Clearly articulate each stakeholders
respective role
Enable effective communication and
coordination of their actions
Hold each other accountable to ensure they achieve shared goals
Successful collaboration requires that stakeholders define programs, policies, and procedures that facilitate these three key items before initiating the adaptive management cycle. To learn how information management and delivery fits into this cycle, see Part 2: Information Management and Delivery.
COLLABORATIVE BEST PRACTICES
Groups who implement collaborative adaptive management may run into challenges, such as institutional barriers or personal conflicts. For ideas about how to overcome institutional barriers and address other collaborative challenges, visit the
WHEN DO YOU USE COLLABORATION WITH ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT?Collaboration presents many benefits, but it is also challenging to implement. Because of this, it should not always be used—it depends on the details of the problem and the parties involved. Collaboration offers significant benefits when stakeholders are willing to do the following:• Share power and authority.• Recognize the power of a group agenda and set aside individual agendas.• Overcome organizational or legal barriers to collaboration.• Adapt and change individual processes to implement the strategies
set by the collaborative.Collaboration is most likely to succeed when the problem is complex, requires timely action, and the parties are willing and ready to come to the table. Collaboration is risky for individuals and organizations. It requires time and it may not be possible to put in place. When collaboration is not used, managers should still consult with stakeholders to ensure that decisions are highly informed, conflict is minimized, and outcomes are sustainable.
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Photo credits: © Richard Thompson, © Richard Hamilton Smith and © Mark Godfrey