Toolkit for Interagency Collaboration

Step 1

If you’re brand new to this kind of collaboration, start by developing a list of all community partners and service providers and their contact information. Identify a person at the high school to act as contact person for community partners and service providers. Tool: agency contact list tool

Step 2

Create an interagency advisory group of school staff, families, community partners and service providers. Clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities of the group around communication methods, information sharing protocols, referral protocols, service and task responsibilities. Tool: agreement form templates

Step 3

Nurture your collaboration. Create opportunities for partners to learn from each other using existing networks. Spread existing and new knowledge. Be responsive to partner desires to become involved in school policy and procedure development. Reflect and evaluate with partners about progress and celebrate achievements.

Cultural Sensitivity

A one-page overview of cultural sensitivity and tips for developing your skills, from British Columbia.

From healthcare, short case studies comparing a traditional approach to a culturally sensitive approach. (After clicking the link, scroll down to the table to see the scenarios.)

Detailed and evidence-based discussion of cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) and implications for transition personnel. Somewhat heavy-going but worth the effort. Shrink your page width for easier reading:  www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/diversity/partI.asp

Partnership Roles and Meeting Essentials

Overview of interagency agreements from NCSET. What are the components of successful interagency agreements, and how can they be implemented?

The Seven Norms of Collaboration helps to ensure productive conversation. Pick one of these to focus on at each meeting. More info:  www.thinkingcollaborative.com/norms-collaboration-toolkit/

Sample agreement forms. One for working with an agency, three for working with employers.

Click on “essentials” under “For the Meeting” to see the essential ingredients needed for successful team meetings for interagency collaboration:  www.claycountycollaborative.org/committees/IIIPwebsite/trainingmanualindex.asp

Connecting to Your Community

Use a bubble diagram and chart to develop your local agency contact list.

Interactive mapping tool to find federally supported youth programs in your community: youth.gov/map-my-community

Examples and strategies for fostering successful business and community partnerships:  www.edutopia.org/article/community-business-partnerships-resources

Community-wide Issues and Evaluation

SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) analysis focuses on current strengths and a vision of the future: asq.org/service/body-of-knowledge/tools-SOAR

SOAR analysis is a positive, participative approach to strategy development that involves those who will impact AND those who will be impacted: www.atlantic.edu/about/board/documents/SOARfromSWOT.pdf

Quick starts on key activities in community work: ctb.ku.edu/en/toolkits

Collaboration Resources

A Guide to Developing Collaborative School-Community-Business Partnerships (PDF, 31 pages, 2015) covers getting started, convening the partners, strategies for engaging key partners including families, and sustaining the partnerships.

Transition Teaming: 26 Strategies for Interagency Collaboration (book, 162 pages, 2014) provides a step-by-step process and concrete strategies.