Collaboration

This third edition of Collaboration: What Makes It Work—written nearly 25 years after the first edition was published—is an example of the enduring importance of collaboration.

Reaction to the first edition, published in 1992, showed that researchers and practitioners alike found it a useful tool. They appreciated its emphasis on providing a practical reference for decision-making that built upon credible, research-based information. The 21st century has brought with it rapid changes and increasingly complex challenges. This third edition in large part responds to the complexity witnessed daily in the authors’ work with community, nonprofit, and government organizations. It offers new research and insights paired with practitioner wisdom, adding a “how-to” perspective to help readers put the success factors to work. Nearly 25 years after the first edition was published, it is not just the “how” of collaboration that has changed—who we are collaborating with has changed as well. Today, nearly every collaboration involves some degree of working across difference. Bringing together diverse people, organizations, or sectors in a way that will foster collaborative success requires a unique set of skills.

This third edition will ground you in the factors that support successful collaboration and assist you in incorporating those factors into your work.

Author Biography

PAUL W. MATTESSICH, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Wilder Research, which dedicates itself to improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities through applied research. Mattessich has assisted local, national, and international organizations with strategic planning, organizational improvement, and evaluation. He travels regularly to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, where he learns from, and consults with, organizations addressing youth development, community development, and the promotion of peace and acceptance of diversity among groups from divided communities. Mattessich has been involved in applied social research since 1973 and is the author or coauthor of more than three hundred publications and reports. He has also served on a variety of task forces in government and the nonprofit sectors. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Minnesota, where he currently serves as an adjunct faculty in the School of Social Work. KIRSTEN M. JOHNSON is the Director of Community Engagement and Systems Change at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation where she manages a portfolio of community-driven projects aimed at creating equity. Johnson’s work focuses on engagement, collaboration, and systems change addressing complex challenges impacting the communities that Wilder serves. Johnson brings the lenses of emotional intelligence, intercultural competence, and network weaving to all of her work. Johnson studied Political Science and Women’s Studies at the University of Minnesota and has worked in the nonprofit sector on collaboration and community development for over fifteen years. Prior to coming to the Wilder Foundation, Johnson’s work supported a variety of nonprofit organizations including the StreetWorks Collaborative, VEAP, and Arc Greater Twin Cities.