CollaborationNI: a new programme to support partnerships, collaboration and mergers

CollaborationNI will engage the sector in the debate around the need for collaborative approaches and demystify concepts that exist. It will do this by providing the sector with a wide range of resources in all aspects of collaborative working, from partnership through to merger. 

A cornerstone of the programme will be the development and maintenance of a dedicated website.  CollaborationNI will help the sector to become more knowledgeable and skilful in working together. The project will offer a range of practical support services including:

• a calendar of scheduled training courses
• tailored, in-house training delivered in the workplace
• a programme of study visits
• expert facilitation to assist group-based discussion and joint decision-making at group, senior management team and board level
• coaching and volunteer executive mentoring for senior managers and chairs to provide one-to-one support in developing skills and strategies for collaborative working.

Senior staff and trustees within the sector will have access to mentoring, coaching, executive career guidance counselling and expert facilitation to help guide their organisations into and through the collaborative process.

CollaborationNI will assist organisations that want to formally merge, helping them to carry out a self audit due diligence process before engaging professional legal and financial services to help them to complete the merger, thus saving valuable resources.

Staff are currently being recruited to support the delivery of the project. We would like now to seek expressions of interest from organisations who may wish to use the support available.  Please complete the brief expression of interest form (available for download below) and submit to una.mckernan@nicva.org

Further information will be made available in due course.