E-book: 8 building blocks for effective interdisciplinary collaboration
02
Framework
Effective and robust management practices are a critical factor for success. Collaborations come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from a temporary coalition for a one-time transaction to an entire ecosystem where partners work on long-term societal change. The governance needs to be aligned with the objectives and resources of the partnership.
Collaborations, as important as they are, are time-consuming. It is safe to assume that almost everyone juggles deadlines, priorities, and incoming tasks on a daily basis. Or, as Allen and Lamont (source) describe it, “what looked like a clear space in the team calendar a month earlier now looks like a game of Tetris gone wrong again.” Choosing and installing the appropriate management practices supports the decision-making process, engagement, and flow of information, keeping things as efficient as possible.
2.1 Clear governance
Consider collaborating at multiple levels across the participating partners. You can, for example, differentiate between the managerial level where board members set out the strategic framework, and the operational level where representatives discuss and implement it. Or base it on expertise, like specific work groups with the program managers, engineers, and purchasers.
It is often desirable to have a central point of contact. This can be an appointed project manager or chairman, or the core members who initiated the collaboration. In either case, it is important that this central point is trusted by all partners and keeps a neutral position. Someone who advocates for collective objectives and ambitions, but also functions as a point of contact for individual concerns.
Temporary alliances don’t require a designated project manager, but it does require a clear division of responsibilities. Assign upfront who takes notes, who manages the financial administration, who updates the planning tool, and so on, to avoid things falling through the cracks.
2.2 Legal protection or declarations
The necessity and extent of a legal framework depend on the type of collaboration. In some cases, it can be wise to protect all partners with a contract. For example, when you are developing a new product together that qualifies for a patent, or when the investment or expected return is of substantial size. However, when the purpose is to share lessons learned and organize network activities, formal legal binding might make partners hesitant to get on board. A declaration of intent will suffice in that case.
Gain expert advice from your own legal departments or specialized agencies to make sure you comply with all relevant regulations. Starting lean and mean can be pragmatic, but a solid foundation may be required for certain partners or investors.
Other legal frameworks to consider are non-disclosure agreements when sharing sensitive information, or guidelines for data sharing in centralized data repositories.
2.3 Collaboration tools and internal communications
Communication is always an ongoing challenge. There is no foolproof way to reach everyone effectively. Frequent updates through multiple channels, like email and webinars, increase the possibilities for partners to stay updated on the latest developments.
Collaboration tools can enhance the workflow and streamline communications, but they can also be ‘another tool to look at’. Which everyone forgets to do. There are many useful options, like Slack, Trello, Asana, Microsoft SharePoint, Miro, and Microsoft Excel. Decide together on the tool that most partners are already familiar with, increasing the chances of it being maintained and used. Evaluate its efficiency throughout the process and adjust where necessary.
Less is more. Do you need to develop a brand-new knowledge sharing platform, or are a joint SharePoint and quarterly network meetings enough to get the knowledge transferred? You are allowed to ask ruthless questions if this results in cutting down the workload.
Framework: questions to answer
- How many man-hours are available per week, both per partner and in total?
- Which levels of organization need to be involved for smooth progress and how often should they meet?
- Is the collaboration a fixed arrangement from the start or will additional partners join along the way?
- Are all partners in the same momentum, or a some further ahead? Is that beneficial or potentially challenging?
- Can you simply appoint a central point of contact, or is a voting mechanism required?
- Does a formal legal binding secure or overcomplicate the collaboration?
- Which collaboration software is already commonly used among partners?
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