Building the team

The implementation team includes the backbone role/s and delegated people in the partnering organisations who contribute to implementation. 

The backbone role could be a dedicated entity or an allocated role within one or more of the partner organisations to oversees coordination and drive implementation. Often, they are the face of the vision and can work across traditional sector boundaries to engage additional stakeholders in collaborative planning and exploring different ways of working.  They may be referred to as Boundary Spanners.  They also work with the stakeholder and partners to define and hold each other accountable for commitments made so that momentum and progress is maintained.

Cross-sector collaborations will always be complicated by the competing norms and logics of the organisations involved. The ability of ‘boundary spanners’ – people who can see, empathise with and navigate these challenges across boundaries – is critical as they are often the ones to find a path through the middle.

In this model, partner organizations maintain autonomy but commit to collaborating on shared goals. Embedding the backbone role within one of the partners organizations can enhance integration, while an independent structure may provide more flexibility and mitigate perceptions of power imbalance. Careful consideration of the project's needs and organizational dynamics is vital for determining the most effective approach.

The role description for the backbone roles could include:

• Overseeing the development of authorising agreements needed to establish the site.
• Establishing operational procedures for the shared spaces, communications, inductions, bookings systems and emergency management systems.   
• Aligning on site partners to the long-term vision and strategy and lead the development of site collaborative plans.
• Building and maintaining relationships between onsite partners, developing a culture of a shared practice approach.
• Involving and engaging families in the planning processes for the Community School. 
• Coordinating the information needed for monitoring, evaluation, reporting and funding acquittals. 
• Bringing in new partnerships to the Community School to meet the identified aspirations and support needs for the target community.  

Core competencies needed in the backbone team include

• Coordination and facilitation skills to orchestrating meetings, managing information flow, and fostering a cohesive working environment among partner organizations.
• A strategic mindset and a comprehensive understanding of systems including recognizing interdependencies, anticipating potential impacts, and strategically positioning the work within broader contexts.
• Competence in data management and analysis to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. This includes collecting, analysing, and presenting relevant data to inform strategic planning, assess project impact, and guide continuous improvement.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including active listening, building rapport, and articulating ideas in a way that resonates with various stakeholders.
• Cultural competence including being sensitive to diverse perspectives, values, and norms, fostering a more inclusive and respectful collaboration.

Partner organisations should also ensure that the expectation to engage in the collaborative approach for the Schools as Community Platforms implementation is explicit in their own team’s plans or role descriptions and that they have the capacity, both in terms of time and authority, to work differently.

Our Experience/ Learnings

Being familiar with but independent from the systems they are working with enables the backbone to take flexible approaches and challenge roadblocks impeding progress. They retain an impartial observer function in negotiations as plans and agreements are developed and are less restrained by organisation culture and hierarchy as they sit alongside the various sectors involved. 

Our Place Created a light structure and added to it as need grew and became clearer.  In addition to the site-based backbone roles we continue to use a variety of methods including retainers for access to expertise, subcontracting distinct projects, strategic partnerships, and engagement with thought leaders in the field, commissioned research.     

Direct briefings and conversations with all levels of stakeholders was needed at any transition to avoid unintended reinterpretation of the goals and commitments inherent in the partnership and roles of the backbone team.