Collective Impact

Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) is an initiative of Indianapolis neighbrohoods and residents, private and public organizations, and civic leaders, and operates from a collective impact model.

What is a collective impact model? It is defined as “the commitment of a group of actors from different sectors… that coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal.” The concept of collective impact hinges on the idea that in order for organizations to create lasting solutions to social problems on a large-scale, they need to coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal.

As a “Collective Impact” grassroots initiative, ROW’s partners have committed to a common agenda. Collective Impact is more rigorous and specific than collaboration among organizations. There are five conditions that together, lead to meaningful results:

Shared Vision:	All participants have a shared vision for change, including a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through agreed-upon actions
Shared Measurement:	Collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants  ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other accountable
Mutually Reinforcing Activities:	Participant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated through a mutually reinforcing plan of action
Continuous Communication:	Consistent and open communication is needed across the many players to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and appreciate a common motivation.
Backbone Organization:	Creating and managing collective impact requires a separate organization(s) with staff and a specific set of skills to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative and coordinate participating organizations and agencies.

Everyone has a part in creating ROW’s collective impact. Administrative support is provided through our “backbone”, Julie Rhodes (our Collective Impact Director), Kelly Brown (our Metrics Manager). A Steering Committee comprised of 17 mission-aligned organizations along with 6 representatives from each Waterway Committee that are committed to lead ROW strategically. The six Waterway committees operate mainly at the neighborhood level with the participation of resident, local institutions, and organization. The Element committees are made up of expert organizations from within the Element related fields. Our partners provide resources and guidance, and our marketing committee helps promote ROW throughout the year. 

For more information on the collective impact, View this PDF: Collective Impact.