Monitoring and Evaluating ProgressIn many ways, collaboration is like taking a road trip. While paying attention to the road ahead, drivers also keep an eye on many other factors: speed, engine temperature, gas and oil levels. In much the same way, monitoring helps to assess the processes surrounding collaboration. Pausing mid-way to reflect on the journey and take stock of your efforts can help to inform ongoing work and continued progress. The best way to stay attuned your collaboration is to integrate monitoring into the process.
Like monitoring, evaluation is most effective when integrated into the collaboration framework early on. As a group, choose the best way to measure success and decide on a set of questions that highlights your vision and goals. You may need to measure your progress with both qualitative and quantitative metrics. After deciding what questions to ask, build in the time for monitoring and evaluation. Consider adding evaluation to the role of a facilitator, including it in meeting agendas, and incorporating it in grants and reports. Time spent on monitoring and evaluation fosters learning and, ultimately, creates the opportunity to achieve more. When it is integrated into the culture of the group, evaluation can be positive and constructive. |
Learning and AdaptingSee Mistakes as Instruction: Collaboratives need not dwell on failure, but they must be constantly attuned to the failures within a process or within an organization. No matter how long you’ve been collaborating, continue working to detect and understand emerging problems as well as to identify problems you don’t want to make. Striving to understand and diagnose problems encourages the kind of discussion and forward thinking that leads to adaptation.
Create a Feedback Loop: Create space for all participants to discuss their experience within the collaboration. Asking “Is the process working for you?” may be the prompt needed to identify an issue and begin a dialogue about changing it. Outside input may also drive adaptation in a collaborative process. Develop a system to record and integrate this feedback as a way of keeping the shared memory of the group. Encourage discussion of emergent issues and changes in social climate to inform the best options to absorb and adapt. Success is ultimately defined by the constituents and/or the community that you serve. |
Coping with ChangeNurture resiliency: The dynamic nature of collaboration makes resilience an essential quality. In the face of the unexpected, coping may be the only option. In the short term, key strategies include working to keep issues small, improvising to keep the process moving ahead, and assimilating change while maintaining progress. In the long run, this vulnerability can help to build trust and ultimately move a collaboration toward growth and development.
Maintain engagement beyond goals and milestones: Reaching a positive outcome is not the finish line for collaboration. Long-term success requires maintenance of the relationships you have built along the way. Engage the community, funders, and collaborators with consistent and frequent communication throughout the process: share evaluations, celebrate success, and hold the collaborative accountable as a part of the community. Listening to collaborators and the larger community throughout the process will ensure that your group can adapt to changes around you. |