Understanding Collective Impact in Australia: A new approach to interorganizational collaboration

Abstract

Countries around the world spend substantial amounts of money on programmes designed to address social issues such as place-based disadvantage, health and aged care. Despite such huge investments, evidence shows that many of these social problems are complex and remain far from being resolved, and in some situations, they are worsening. To face these challenges, many organizations have turned to interorganizational collaboration as a more effective means of dealing with social issues. This exploratory qualitative study investigates a relatively new framework for tackling complex social challenges – Collective Impact. We show that while the interpretation and application of the Collective Impact framework varies, broad similarities can be found. We conclude that Collective Impact is best conceptualized as a method for network-based collaboration rather than a distinct methodology or philosophy, and emphasize the importance of the relational aspects of interorganizational collaboration.