Potential benefits and risks of collaboration
Collaborative working is not right for every organisation in every case. Carefully identifying and addressing issues of concern helps establish if it is the right way forward.
Benefits of collaborative working can include:
- Improved or wider range of services for beneficiaries
- Wider geographical reach or access to new beneficiary groups
- More integrated approach to beneficiary needs
- Financial savings and better use of existing resources
- Knowledge, good practice and information sharing
- Sharing the risk in new and untested projects
- Capacity to replicate success
- Stronger, united voice
- Better co-ordination of organisations' activities
- Positive PR opportunities around reduced duplication
- Mutual support between organisations
Potential risks include:
- Outcomes do not justify the time and resources invested
- Beneficiary confusion
- Loss of flexibility in working practices
- Complexity in decision-making and loss of autonomy
- Cultural mismatch between organisations
- Diverting energy and resources away from core aims
- Change management challenges
- Lack of consistency and clarity on roles and responsibilities
- Dilution of brand
- Damage to organisation if collaboration is unsuccessful
- Legal obligations
Developing partnerships and collaborating to generate income can be challenging, but the rewards to the organisation and its beneficiaries can be substantial. It is worthwhile exploring even if it is to identify potential partners for the future - search for potenital partners on Funding Central.
If you are considering collaborate and want to know the best approach to take, contact
NCVO's Collaborative Working Team