Community Learning Development Resource 302-12
DEVELOPING CO-WORKING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AGENCIES – SOME FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
SUMMARY
Looking at the feasibility of co-working arrangements between two or more agencies requires that a number of fundamental questions should be addressed at an early stage. These questions explore the rationale for co-working before more detailed negotiations seek to put in place the organisation and processes of co-working.
1. How will the proposed co-working arrangements change our effectiveness to the benefit of local people?
- Will the benefits and the impact that local people gain from their experience of our work be:
- (a) maintained?
- (b) increased?
- (c) improved?
- (d) put at risk or reduced in quality or quantity?
- How will the scope and capacity of our work grow:
- (a) in range and variety- new initiatives, etc?
- (b) extended – widened to reach new targets, address emerging priorities?
- (c) gain in capacity to deliver through learning from partners?
- (d) improve in quality through learning from partners?
- (d) gain in actual resource to develop and deliver new or enhanced initiatives and interventions?
2. How will the proposed co-working arrangements improve our efficiency as an organisation?
- Will our organisation gain:
- In total useful resource?
- In the efficiency of use of our management, support and/or delivery of outputs?
- In improved cost efficiency? In management and/or through savings?
- In communication, organisational maintenance,
- In support – line-management, appraisal, development and training opportunities?
- In monitoring, evaluation, review and planning?
- Will our organisation suffer significant losses in efficiency or capacity to develop?
3. Will the proposed co-working arrangements improve our strategic profile and status?
- Will our organisation and its work gain a higher profile and status?
- Will our organisation be better able to withstand external threats to its work or to its existence?
- Will this encourage and enable our organisation to take-over the assets and business of another?
- Is this part of an externally imposed rationalisation or cost cutting strategy?
4. Is the purpose of the proposed co-working arrangements for our organisation to the benefit of proposed partners?
- Is our organisation:
- Supporting another at a time of difficulty?
- Building towards closer ties in support another organisation?