Building Opportunities through Creative Collaborations

Strategic Alliances SeminarTuesday, August 30, 2011The Forbes Funds

2001 ~ Discussions2003 ~ HR Director

What problem were we looking to solve or what service/function did we want to enhance?

What motivated

us?

Our PurposeOur PurposeTo develop a shared HR program with a goal of achieving greater efficiency through shared back-office functions, enhancing our human capital & reducing liabilities.

2001 – 2010 Informal with Operating Agreement◦ No legal authority governing HR-C◦ Each agency responsible & assumed liability◦ Shared leadership, with HR Director as facilitator◦ HR Director an employee of CVVC to receive

compensation CVVC invoiced BH & POWER monthly

2011 LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) ◦ Operating Agreement◦ Non-profit, Member Driven◦ No Board of Directors◦ HR Director serves as Director of the HR-C◦ Two officers (President & Secretary) rotate annually

What works?

Commitment to shared relationships & goals

Jointly developed structure & shared responsibility

Mutual Authority & Accountability

Sharing of Resources & RewardsReport from The Forbes Funds

Collaboration . . . mutually beneficial relationship between two or more organizations that includes:

Within the context of the Criteria for Management Excellence . . .

◦Say What You Do

◦Do What You Say

◦Prove ItThe Forbes Funds ~ Management Excellence

What works?

Step 1: Identify the Problem

Growing HR needs Limited resources

Step 2: Envision the Solution

Address growing HR needs by creating a shared HR department

“Mutually Beneficial”

Step 3: Who should be involved?

Identified ourselves as the partners

Obtained board approval

Secured foundation support

Hired consultant

Step 4: Conduct a Readiness Assessment

We hired consultants◦ Helped us get

established◦ Conducted an HR

audit of each agency

Step 5: Develop a Plan

Established a workable model ◦ Id. Inputs, outputs &

resources Created a job

description Agreed on plan for

recruiting & hiring HR Director

Developed an Operating Agreement

“Jointly Developed Structure with Shared Responsibilities”

Step 6: Implemented the Collaborative

Operating Agreement includes:

Values & guiding principles.

How decisions are made.

The exit strategy.

“Mutual Authority and Accountability for Success”

Decision Making & Resolving Conflicts

Sustainable Funding

Uniformity/Consistency

Time & Energy

Growth of Agencies or Change in

Leadership

From Roadmap to Roadblocks

What might the challenges be?

HR-C received

the People Do

Matter AwardApril 5, 2006

Step 7: Measure & Evaluate Results

Employee Surveys

Exit Interviews

EAP Reports

Various Individual Awards & Recognition

$227,000 vs. $700,000◦ What we each paid over 8 years vs. what we

would’ve paid had we each hired an HR Director separately

Staff power – difficult to quantify, but at least 2 people at each agency were spending time doing HR-related work

Risk reduction – risk, often associated w/dire financial consequences

Attracted other partners (i.e. funders, academia, in-kind donors)

Bottom Line

Additional Economic Efficiencies:◦ Benefits negotiations (health, dental, vision, EAP)◦ Recruitment & Hiring (efficient, better quality,

lower advertising costs)◦ Enhanced workflow processes ◦ Moral (employee surveys, exit interviews,

employee recognition, etc.)◦ Professional Development

Bethlehem Haven POWER Lois Mufuka Martin, MEd Rosa Davis, MSW, ACSWExecutive Director Executive Director 412.391.1348 412.243.7535, x-213lmartin@bethlehemhaven.org rdavis@power-

recovery.comwww.bethlehemhaven.org www.power-

recovery.com

Center for Victims of Violence & CrimeTracey ProvidentExecutive Director412.482.3240, x-120tprovident@cvvc.orgwww.cvvc.org

Contacts & Resources