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Challenges of Cross-Agency Collaboration

Dean BrittonProject Manager, SLIP Program SupportDepartment of Land Information15 September 2006

© Copyright The Department of Land Information., Perth, 2006

The document and its contents are confidential and intended only for use by authorised personnel directly involved in the Shared Land Information Platform or so indicated on the document’s distribution list. The document’s contents should not be disclosed to any unauthorised person.

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Challenges of Cross-Agency Challenges of Cross-Agency CollaborationCollaboration

…Or…

…Confessions of a Boundary Rider…

Images sourced from http://www.westernshop.com

L – lack of scientific rigour

B – broad generalisations

A – anecdotal information

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From: Myers, David.G. (1996, 5th edition); Social Psychology, NY, Mc Graw-Hill, S. 339 ff  

AgendaAgenda

Why collaborate?

Types of Collaboration

Group Dynamics – My Tribe, Your Tribe, Diatribe

Communication – crossing the boundaries

Lessons Learned

Summary

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Why Collaborate?Why Collaborate?

Collaboration Happens Everywhere:• Relationships• Family• Work• Communities

People collaborate for lots of reasons:• For personal gain• For shared gain• Fun• Others…

Survival

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Types of CollaborationTypes of Collaboration

Mandatory CollaborationMarked by:

• Autocratic and authoritative style

• Hierarchical

• Centralised approach

Voluntary CollaborationMarked by:

• Democratic style

• Distribution of power

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Group Dynamics – My Tribe, Your Tribe, Group Dynamics – My Tribe, Your Tribe, DiatribeDiatribe

Setting up a group• Boundaries created• “Us” and “Them”• Culture, especially language• Customs – “the way things are” Tribal Awareness

• Sizes and types of tribes vary• Subsets exist• Primary and Secondary Tribal Identification• The pejorative of collaboration

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Communication – Crossing the Communication – Crossing the BoundariesBoundaries

Who are the “boundary riders”

• Those who can communicate across cultural boundaries and engender a shared vision.

• A new “hybrid” tribe is created. New customs, traditions, language, celebrations.

The shared language and the bi-linguists.

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Lessons Learned (i)Lessons Learned (i)

Promote the shared concept

Communicate all the time – to everyone

Identify the “other”

Brand and bond the group

– reinforce the shared identity

Celebrate shared achievements

Support the group - infrastructure

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Lessons Learned (ii)Lessons Learned (ii)

Be “multi-lingual” incorporate some of the

tribes’ language into the group

Use open standards

Develop governance that ensures

commitment at senior levels

Balance autocracy and democracy

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Groupthink gets ugly:Bob Larner

The Daily – University of Washington Student Newspaper

SummarySummary

Collaboration is worthwhile and oftenmore successful than individual effort

There is much to be learned from the science of social dynamics. Knowing

how groups form and are sustained can be useful.

Understanding of culture and language is

crucial. Learn about the culture of the participants.

Dysfunction can function.