Dudley’s MASH Labfacilitating creative collaboration between

communities and Dudley Council

The second in a series of reports from a MASH Lab event held on 18 July 2012 at INSIGHT House

1. Background to the MASH Lab

2. What is

collaboration?

3. What makes collaborationempowering?

4. A draft

template for collaboration

5. Community wellbeing outcomes

6. Feedback,

next steps and support

What is collaboration?initial thoughts from groups

During the feedback from discussion at the event the following points about collaboration were highlighted - there was lots of common ground between the groups.

Having a shared goal

Agreed clear goals – what are we collaborating about?

Forward momentum – shared goal.It is about together, making something better or more positive as the end produce.There has to be some benefit: relationships, energy common purpose.

Common purpose, agreement and sharing – stated or not.

Together, as equals

Designing together – not somebody coming back with a solution.To work together equally.

We are all sitting around together, working equally.Working together on an equal footing with a shared goal – listening and reviewing as we go.Research, review, evaluation.

This question was discussed by groups, who created some fantastic diagrams to reflect their discussions

Knowing what we each bring

A clear understanding about the ability, capacity and limitations of each collaborator/organisation – without this we are into assumptions.Sharing resources and a mutual agreement about what we can – and what we are prepared to share.Working together to reach a positive end – mixing different skills and interests.

Collaboration between singer and rap artist – put in just as much – and the audience gets more from it.

Different skill mix – balance of power – addressing this and not making assumptions about what people can bring to the table.

The right people at the right time and giving that time - all parties knowing what they want.

TrustTrust and honesty.

Trust, honesty, communication.Hidden agendas – there can’t be any but sometimes have them without realising – need negotiation.

How collaboration arises

Collaboration can occur formally, informally, by accident – share a common agreement that may not be stated: community, individual, organisations.

There is a new narrative being told by grassroots community projects popping up around the world. These are the people that are teaching us about how to create projects and ideas that connect communities in new and productive ways. The two strongest characteristics demonstrated in the projects are:

Creativity: they connect many new and existing resources and ideas to make entirely new things, Collaboration: they boost the potential and success of the work by collective and collaborative ways of operating.

Edited extract of a blog post by Tessy Britton

Experiences of collaborationDiscussions in pairs

Participants were invited to feedback general observations from their discussions, anything interesting which stood out.

What made it collaboration

Number of people involvedNot driven by one agencyShared responsibilityEveryone involvedPartners and the community all around the table all on the same page - same place, same time, all knowing what we’re doingClear outcomes, clear goalRationale - clear evidence - helps to get buy-in

What was good?

Learning from each otherIt made a new communityA perfect match: a left shoe finding a right shoe that fits!Diverse backgroundsSmall beginnings leading to personal outcomes and achievementsExisting relationshipsSet off on the same pageIt was motivating - had influence and access to ‘power’ - linking to peopleGrowthEvidence

An opportunity to start building new relationships, participants worked in pairs to share experiences of collaboration. They discussed what the topic or issue was, what made it collaboration, what was good, and what was not so good.

RationalePooling expertiseBringing together two or more audiencesGenerosity of spiritAssumptions challengedUnderstanding each others’ perspectivesBuy in at senior levelNew ways of working - opportunities to exploreLeads to sustainability, bringing new energy - dynamic, changing relationshipsOpportuinities to make new connections and build new relationshipsShared values and mutual trustLike each otherHaving and sharing resourcesChanges how people work in futuresRecognising value of collaboration

What was not so good?

Existing process and structures block new ideas/ways of doing thingsSelfish intentionsUnexpected external factors

“We want more good stuff, and to know how to deal with the not so good stuff”

Sal Hampson, event facilitator

What we shared more widelyDiscussions about collaboration on twitter Participants, facilitators and others in their twitter networks were active online throughout the MASH Lab event. The discussion on collaboration is shared below, as Storified by Lorna Prescott.

is a free to use site which helps users to tell stories by curating content from social media sources. See www.storify.com

MASH Lab participantsWe are grateful to the following for their participation in the MASH Lab

Andy Wright Dudley MBCBarry Hutchinson Dudley MBCBrendan Clifford Dudley MBCBridget Brickley Dudley Community Partnership Chris Morrey Dudley Community PartnershipDawn Bonnick Dudley MBCDennis Hodson Dudley Community PartnershipDick Jeavons-Fellows Stourbridge RugbyDonna Roberts Dudley MBCFaye Conroy Dudley Community PartnershipGeoff Thomas Dudley MBC Gillian Lloyd Dudley Borough Interfaith NetworkJason Whyley Dudley Council John Cheadle Dudley Table Tennis League /Bromley TT ClubKate Green Dudley CVSKate Warren Public Health, NHS DudleyKatriona Lafferty DMBC Community Safety Team Lorna Prescott Dudley CVSLouise Clarke Dudley MBCMarc Carter INSIGHT for CarersMartin Baines Dudley MBCMatthew Smith Dudley MBCMelissa Guest Dudley CVSMenna Flavell Dudley MBCMike Wood Dudley MBCRuth Heeks Autism Outreach Service Simon Manson Dudley CouncilSue Haywood Dudley MBC - Community Safety TeamTony Laycock Stourbridge Hub & Social TransformationWendy Fryatt Black Country Foodbank

The event facilitators were:Sal Hampson and Jill Bedford from changes and Nick Bird