Online Community Engagement Software

Collective Impact

What is Collective Impact?

For us, collective impact is where collaboration, data science and creativity come together to catalyse positive social change.
The concept was first articulated in the Stanford Social Innovation Review in 2011 by John Kania and Mark Kramer. There are five key conditions which make up the collective impact framework:

  • Common Agenda – All participants share a vision for change that includes a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving the problem through agreed upon actions.
  • Shared Measurement – All participating organisations agree on the ways success will be measured and reported, with a short list of common indicators identified and use for learning and improvement.
  • Mutually Reinforcing Activities – A diverse set of stakeholders, typically across sectors, coordinate a set of differentiated activities through a mutually reinforcing plan of action.
  • Continuous Communication – All players engage in frequent and structured open communication to build trust, assure mutual objectives and create common motivation.
  • Backbone Support – An independent, funded staff dedicated to the initiative provides ongoing support by guiding the initiative’s vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy and mobilising resources.

Take a look at this video explaining collective impact!