Studying inter-agency collaboration
The processes used for networking and collaboration by agencies involved in the Strengthening Families Strategy is the focus of research by Linkages postgraduate scholarship winner Ann Walker.
Ann, who is studying for a PhD in public policy at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Government, says her research will identify the factors that support or impede the Strengthening Families model of cross-sectoral case management and service delivery.
"My research focuses on the networking process of Strengthening Families, the nature of the relationships between the different agencies, and the exchange of information between the different agencies," Ann says.
The research includes an in-depth look at how government agencies, and community organisations involved in the areas of health, education, welfare and justice work together at four regional sites.
"My methodology uses the social capital concepts of bonding, bridging and linking to examine the working relationships between the various agencies and organisations at the three levels - the national or chief executive level; the level of the local management group; and at the 'micro' level of local case management," Ann says.
"I want to examine the level of social capital - that is, the networks, levels of trust, shared norms, and values among stakeholders." Ann will analyse the social network data using specially designed software such as UCINET. "It will show such things as the intensity of the connections between the various agencies and groups by using, for instance, data on the number of emails, phone calls, postal communications, or face-to-face communications."
Ann says maintaining relations among many different agencies is important for effective social programme implementation particularly given the current move to adopting more cross-sectoral inter-agency responses to social problems. "By knowing the types of relationships between agencies in a network and the level of integration, managers can target where they need to spend their time building new relationships, or improving existing ones," she says. "Hopefully, agencies will be able to use the findings from my research to help improve inter-agency networking, co-operation and collaboration."
For more information: ann.walker@vuw.ac.nz.
