How can you make resource sharing and collaboration plans sustainable?

Identify Common Goals: Ensure that resource sharing and collaboration plans align with the common goals of the participating parties. When there is a shared vision and purpose, it becomes easier to sustain the collaboration over the long term. Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Define clear roles and responsibilities for each participant involved in the resource sharing and collaboration efforts. This clarity helps avoid confusion and ensures accountability for contributing and utilizing shared resources. Foster Trust and Communication: Build trust among the participants by establishing open lines of communication. Encourage regular meetings, feedback sessions, and collaborative decision-making processes.

Identifying goals can assist with how the interconnected roles support each other in an emergency management situation when a local state of emergency is declared or when your local EM office is leaning forward to support your community. Of course the supportive paperwork like MOUs can be supportive, but also goals even if clear lack value to other leaders unless it’s a shared goal. There is buy in and benefit to other departments. Show the value, go beyond and plan ahead to show the value of collaboration in a developing profession where buy-in and supportive peers can make or break a plan goal outside your department.

Before embarking on resource sharing and collaboration, establish clear goals by defining what you aim to achieve, how progress will be measured, and the assigned responsibilities. This clarity aids in aligning expectations, preventing duplication, and defining boundaries. Utilize tools like SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), and MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to document and communicate your goals and roles effectively.

By partnering with other organisations that provide similar services to ensure there are no duplications in project types. Also by first identifying the number of persons who actually need what you want to provide, and allocate just that which is needed.

I trust and relationships are critical not only for crisis situations but that “shared motivation” can support something called a collaborative governance regime or CGR. This concept adds complexities to not only trust, relationship building, and relationship sustainment which can be fickle or on and off but investing in more mutually beneficial qualities that can support connective departments and leaders. This leaders have to navigate shared resources and budgets without the context or experience working within emerging threats and emergency management. Of course outside of Additional duties as assigned. I would recommend investing in governance and social network concepts to help solidify trust and relationships and share the info.

For successful resource sharing and collaboration, trust and relationships among partners are crucial. Invest time and effort in building rapport, respect, and mutual understanding through regular communication, information sharing, acknowledging contributions, providing feedback, and resolving conflicts constructively. Utilize platforms like Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among the involved parties.

I Would go a step further then to just saying adapting and learning in self assessment to improve resource sharing, but also to expand the interpersonal skills needed to improve communication. Collaborative plans and resource sharing can be simple but communicating the inter-workings, value, and actions needed becoming hazy depending on your jurisdiction. Self-improvement and working on peer level develop can lead to bonds and understandings of how to best communicate, collaborate, and coordinate the adaptation and evolving lessons learned that best associate with your department connections in your jurisdictions.

Resource sharing and collaboration are dynamic processes requiring constant adaptation and learning. Monitor your environment, assess performance, and identify strengths and weaknesses. Be flexible and responsive to changing needs, opportunities, and challenges. Tools like SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, after-action reviews, and lessons learned help evaluate and enhance resource sharing and collaboration plans over time.

SMART (Specific,measurable,achievable, relevant and time bound),RACI(Responsible,accountable,consulted and informed) and MOU are important tools to document your goals and roles. SWOT analysis is also very important tool.