Collective Working Methodology: Why it’s important to sustainable community change.

Complex social issues demand collaborative solutions. At Right to Succeed, we believe that by working together, we can create lasting positive change in our communities. 

Collective impact is a powerful approach that unites organisations with a shared vision for change. By combining our strengths and resources, we can tackle the root causes of poverty, educational inequality, and limited social mobility.

We recognize that no single organisation can solve these deeply rooted problems alone. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, we can address a wide range of challenges in a coordinated and effective manner. While there is no shortage of effort or resources dedicated to these issues, what is often missing is a unified approach to understanding and solving the problems facing young people.

Five Conditions of Collective Impact

While our understanding of how to put collective impact into practice has deepened and expanded over the last nine years, the five conditions outlined in the Collective Impact framework remain the core of our approach at Right to Succeed. Collective Impact initiatives are underpinned by five core conditions of success (Kania & Kramer, 2011), a shared vision, common measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, open communication, and dedicated support. By adhering to these principles, we can create a strong foundation for collective action.

• Common Agenda: All participants have a shared vision for change that includes a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving the problem through agreed-upon actions.

• Shared Measurement: Agreement on the ways success will be measured and reported, with a short list of common indicators identified and used across all participating organisations for learning and improvement.

• Mutually Reinforcing Activities: Engagement of a diverse set of stakeholders, typically across sectors, coordinating a set of differentiated activities through a mutually reinforcing plan of action.

• Continuous Communication: Frequent and structured open communication across the many players to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation.

• Backbone Support: Ongoing support by independent, funded staff dedicated to the initiative, including guiding the initiative’s vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy, and mobilising funding. Backbone staff can all sit within a single organisation, or they can have different roles housed in multiple organisations.

Collective working is essential for finding new solutions and embedding sustainable change.  By sharing knowledge and expertise, we can learn from each other and develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Many of today's challenges are interconnected and require a multifaceted approach. When combined with a place-based approach, we can create a powerful synergy that delivers tailored support and lasting improvements for communities.

Our collaboration with 113 partner organisations has enabled us to reach and support over 8,057 children and young people across our programmes in 2022/23. This demonstrates the immense impact that can be achieved when we work together.

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Through collective working, we are improving literacy, ensuring schools meet the needs of all children, helping young people into work, and strengthening community relationships. By harnessing the power of collaboration, we can build stronger communities and create a brighter future for everyone.

To find out more about the impact of our collective approach, visit our programme pages and annual impact report.