Developing a Common Agenda: in pursuit of the movement for change
What does it mean to build a common agenda?
In the realm of community-driven initiatives and making positive social change, Collective Impact has become a game-changer. It's all about teamwork, bringing various people together to tackle complex issues head-on.
At the heart of this approach lies the development of a common agenda – a shared roadmap for success. Let's explore why a common agenda is so vital and how we can create one that will work for our region.
During the establishment of the SPCAP Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention initiative, we have taken a bit of an assumption that suicide prevention is our common agenda. It's a bit of a “no-brainer” as they say.
Clearly, suicide prevention is the focus, so really, isn't the vision simply a world without suicide?
However, what does that really mean for us? And how can we collectively shape the work to be done, recognising that suicide is a many-layered, complex and “wicked” (in the design sense of the word) problem?
It’s one to which there is no easily identified solution and one that requires interconnected community-designed solutions. In thinking about this, there are a few key tips for creating a Common Agenda:
Bring everyone to the table: Get all the key players involved, from community members to nonprofits, government agencies, and local businesses. Everyone's input is valuable.
Define the issue: Be really clear about the problem you want to solve. It should be something you can measure. For example, instead of ‘tackling youth unemployment,’ it could be to ‘boost youth unemployment by 20% in five years’.
Set goals and objectives: Make sure the goals are crystal clear and achievable. What's the big win or shift you are aiming for? How will you know when you get there?
Plot your strategies: Brainstorm together and figure out how you are going to reach your objectives. Discuss what each partner brings to the table and how to complement each other's efforts.
Create a shared vision: Craft a vision statement that captures the spirit of your collective efforts. It should inspire and rally everyone around a common cause.
Measure what matters: Decide what data you will use to track your progress.
Action time: Plan out who’s doing what and when. Everyone should know their part in making the common agenda a reality.
Trust the process and each other: Trust is the magic ingredient in Collective Impact. Trust is built by respecting each other's ideas, keeping the lines of communication open, and holding to commitments.
And stay flexible: It's an iterative process. The world doesn't stand still, and neither should the common agenda. Check-in regularly, adapt, and keep moving forward!
And last but not least, enjoy!
Our next Collaborative event on October 4th specifically takes a deep dive into developing, shaping, and crafting our Common Agenda.
