Technological, social and political changes have had far-reaching implications for the way government, business and nonprofit organizations fulfill their missions and work together. These changes have led the business community to redefine its performance standards, government to rethink its goals and nonprofits to redouble their efforts to meet rising demands according to a new report, "Working Better Together: How Government, Business and Nonprofit Organizations Can Achieve Public Purposes Through Cross-Sector Collaboration, Alliances and Partnerships".


Published by the Three Sector Initiative, seven leading organizations representing business, government and nonprofits, the report details the ways the sectors have used collaboration to form partnerships with each other to address complex problems that no one sector can handle on its own. The publication draws on regional dialogues held around the country with representatives of the three sectors and provides examples of how leaders in state government, industry and nonprofits can work together.

In "Working Better Together," New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen explains that fiscal constraints motivate her state government to aggressively seek out partnerships. Chris Gates, president of the National Civic League, states that the "rules of the road" for American communities-which contend that government owns the public agenda and that for every issue there must be a winner and a loser-no longer apply.

Government, business and nonprofit organizations have a history of working together to achieve public purposes but as the lines that distinguish each entity have become blurred, collaborative efforts can also reveal tensions and fault lines among the sectors.

The Three Sector Initiative, a collaboration between the Conference Board, the Council on Foundations, <
a href="http://www.IndependentSector.org">Independent Sector, the National Academy of Public Administration, the National Alliance of Business, the National Civic League and the National Governors Association, studies how cross-sector collaboration can better serve the public and the missions of organizations.

"Working Better Together," a joint publication of the collaboration, written by R. Scott Fosler, a visiting professor at the University of Maryland, identifies the elements of successful partnerships, and the roadblocks that can derail cross-sector collaborations.

Cross-sector collaborations can range from ad hoc agendas to well-defined public purposes, last for months or be ongoing. Working Better Together describes the definitive stages of any collaborative process. They include:

• Recognizing common needs and organizational convening potential;
  
• Mutual planning for performance;
  
• Agreement on operational design;
  
• Start-up;
  
• Operation and management;
  
• Performance monitoring, communication, learning and improving; and
  
• Termination or modification of the collaboration.
  

"In today's society the three sectors are more interconnected than ever. Separately, we each perform our duties well, but to remain relevant to all our shareholders and stakeholders, nonprofits, business and government must strengthen the ties that bind us," said Sara E. Melendez, president and CEO of Independent Sector.

The Executive Summary of "Working Better Together: How Government, Business and Nonprofit Organizations Can Achieve Public Purposes Through Cross-Sector Collaboration, Alliances and Partnerships," is available free of charge or the full report can be ordered by visiting the Independent Sector Web site.