In early 2002, the Executive Directors of five non-profit social service organizations in Williams Lake began meeting to discuss how their organizations might work together to improve service delivery and cope with the challenges of an overwhelming adjustment imposed by changes in government leadership and service contracts. Those early discussions took place in an environment of vulnerability and fear about the future. The first meetings were guarded, cautious and exploratory. Within a few months, this group of five Executive Directors had established a collaborative working relationship and identified the potential benefits of formalizing their relationship. By the end of the second year of development, accounting services were merged, several agencies co-located their service delivery and the Central Interior Community Services Co-op was registered as a new independent organization.
Identifying why this collaboration works when so many others don't is complicated. From the very beginning, there was a commitment that working closely together was possible without merging into a single organization or identity. In terms of process, there was a continual focus on sharing information, generating and maintaining internal vulnerability among the organizations as a precursor to building trust, and moving ahead with tangible demonstrations of the commitment to work together. The combination of community and organizational context, personal relationships and leadership approaches and the tremendous vision and commitment, all contribute to the sense that really the CICSC is the result of the right people being in the right place at the right time, and then deciding to stay there and figure it out, for better or for worse.
A number of tools, informal agreements, formal processes and structures have facilitated the success of the Co-op to date. The co-op model, with its principle of reciprocity, allowed each organization to contribute according to its resources and ability, while still maintaining equality in decision making. Leadership was critical and over time a creative tension between loyalty to the individual agency and loyalty to the collaborative process developed. The weekly meetings of the Executive Directors were formalized as the Integrated Management Committee, a standing committee of the CICSC Board. Since no management staff have ever been hired for the Co-op, this group effectively manages all aspects of the Co-op. They are also the public face of the Co-op and collectively wield significant influence in the community.
The operational, functional and practical aspects of making the Co-op work have been substantial. One of the greatest challenges has been that the entire endeavour has been self-funded. Member organizations have contributed money and thousands of dollars worth of management, staff and board volunteer time to bring the vision to reality. The stakes were high, but once collaborative relationships were formed the impact of their collapse outweighed the risks of working together.
The CICSC has brought a number of benefits for it's members, ranging from collegial support for management staff to cost savings and improved service delivery. While many of the benefits are difficult to quantify, members express a clear sense that things are better now than before and that things are better within the Co-op than they would have been if agencies had remained completely independent. Service delivery improvements are widely considered to be a major accomplishment and are the result of both direct initiatives and of co-locating staff. The Co-op members sphere of influence has increased considerably and has resulted in increased publicity and ability to affect community initiatives. Future potential for the Co-op is yet unrealized, but clearly the benefits of working together have made a positive impact on the delivery of community social services in Williams Lake.
Download The Complete History (in .pdf format) File size: 818KB
