Paper Cave; Kotaro Horiuchi Arkitektur |
Individually,
each of these topics is concerned with museums helping to build stronger
communities. All–vision, data, and collective action–are capable of engaging
more fully with one another in a coordinated approach to community-level change.
Guided by a common vision of a
community, its challenges and opportunities and supported by shared information, the collaborative efforts of a museum and
its important partners hold the promise of long-term, broad-based
impact.
Vision
Many museum visions focus in on the museum. They list how it hopes to be perceived by its partners and stakeholders: high quality, a premier resource, a place of choice, etc. Museum visions can also project out to the community to embrace a deeper and more expansive purpose. They can express the positive change a museum believes is possible for its community that it can help accomplish with partners and stakeholders.
Many museum visions focus in on the museum. They list how it hopes to be perceived by its partners and stakeholders: high quality, a premier resource, a place of choice, etc. Museum visions can also project out to the community to embrace a deeper and more expansive purpose. They can express the positive change a museum believes is possible for its community that it can help accomplish with partners and stakeholders.
The
externally oriented vision is a catalyst for moving from intention to impact,
from isolated initiatives to coordinated action. By engaging local stakeholders
and considering their perspectives in framing its vision, the museum finds partners
with shared interests and related initiatives in priority areas. In getting to
know each other, partners begin to identify valuable organizational
assets such as relevant expertise, lessons from previous collaborations, infrastructure, and
related organizational data. At this initial stage, a shared platform takes
shape, one that supports collective conversations on an on-going basis, brings
partners together before acting, and encourages shared development of questions
and information, and joint ownership.
Data, Local and Shared
To move the needle on community-level change, a museum and its partners need more than multiple organizations with a shared agenda delivering relevant programs where they have current capabilities. While helpful, partners also need a common understanding of the challenge and what they hope to accomplish; where they are starting and what progress looks like. This requires information–data–about the children, youth, families, or neighborhoods they serve; the quality of life measures at present levels; and supporting indicators capable of indicating progress.
To move the needle on community-level change, a museum and its partners need more than multiple organizations with a shared agenda delivering relevant programs where they have current capabilities. While helpful, partners also need a common understanding of the challenge and what they hope to accomplish; where they are starting and what progress looks like. This requires information–data–about the children, youth, families, or neighborhoods they serve; the quality of life measures at present levels; and supporting indicators capable of indicating progress.
But what
information is needed and were does it come from? Information should describe relevant
aspects of improved lives for targeted individuals and groups. Long-term
outcomes typically relate to a more vibrant community in areas of health,
safety, education, civic engagement, social capital, or the environment. Indicators
tracking outcomes may relate to youth believing they can achieve their goals; lower
obesity rates; increased levels of civic engagement; greater access to learning
technology; involvement in meaningful community activities with opportunities
to contribute.
Data sources
include readily available information from other entities as well as data generated by
partners. In her blog post, Learn to Love Your Local Data, Nina Simon
points out that often the data partners need already exists.
Baseline information may be available from community assessments, the local United
Way, or area foundations. It is local, shared and manageable for smaller
organizations. Community-wide sources of data are place-based with a high
degree of relevance. Furthermore, since this information is already shared, it reinforces
the common purpose of the efforts and sets the tone for joint ownership of
information.
A more
ambitious approach is working collaboratively to collect data with partners. This
is the approach the StriveTogether Network
uses. And, although organized for evaluation and research, groups like the Denver Evaluation Network
do have the capacity to collect local data for museum partners or local
partnerships.
Collective
Action
Complex social problems are a function of a wide range of factors interacting over time. Collaborative efforts that create and sustain positive change at a meaningful scale require organization to coordinate and align efforts. The supportive organization can take varied forms, ranging in structure, size, and level of infrastructure.
Complex social problems are a function of a wide range of factors interacting over time. Collaborative efforts that create and sustain positive change at a meaningful scale require organization to coordinate and align efforts. The supportive organization can take varied forms, ranging in structure, size, and level of infrastructure.
Since 2000,
Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) has
taken a comprehensive, holistic, and place-based approach to supporting the
Harlem community, starting with babies. With its clear vision, pipeline of
programs, evidence-based decision-making, and robust infrastructure, it has made
it a model for other transformative partnerships. Many communities and
museums are familiar with the HCZ-inspired federally funded Promise Neighborhoods
with cradle-to-career programs.
The Strive Partnership
launched in 2006 developed a shared agenda to improve student achievement in
the Greater Cincinnati area. Its approach, often referred to as Collective Impact,
follows 5 principles that together build alignment and lead to significant change: a common agenda, shared measurement systems, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone organizations.
When 40
organizations in Norwalk (CT) came together in 2005 to form Norwalk ACTS, the focus was on 6 cradle-to-career outcomes,
from kindergarten readiness to post-high school guided by volunteer management. Now
a group of over 100 organizations, Norwalk ACTS uses the Strive model. One of
the original members,
Stepping
Stones Museum for Children serves as the anchor organization.
All
efforts aren’t as formal and structured as HCZ, Strive, or Promise
Neighborhoods. Lower maintenance structures typical of many museum
partnerships use similar principles: an articulated joint vision, shared data, identified
outcomes and impacts, and collective action. Over the past 3
years, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma
and its community partners have been collaborating to build a child-centered
community, supported by a volunteer structure similar to the one initially supporting Norwalk
ACTS.
These and
other efforts are gaining the attention of museum associations. IMLS will be
analyzing current projects to support comprehensive community revitalization.
Through a partnership with Local Initiative Support Corporation, IMLS will look
at best practices and strategies to better understand how museums and libraries
are engaged in sustained commitments to community-level change.
For those attending InterActivity 2016, Collective Impact will be the theme of the Association of Children’s Museums annual conference
hosted by Stepping Stones Museum for Children. Geoffrey Canada, President of
Harlem Children’s Zone, will receive the Great Friend to Kids Award.
Related
Museum Notes Posts
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