The CTDC Toolkit | Mobilizing for Collective Action
Tools to help you activate organizations and partners to work together to improve your community.
The Civic Tech and Data Collaborative Toolkit — compiled by Living Cities, the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership and Code for America — is a collection of resources and tools for anyone interested in unleashing the power of local data and civic technology in their community. We’ve divided the tools into five categories: Ingredients of a civic tech collaborative, engaging low income residents, mobilizing collective action, and resourcing collaboratives, and sustaining the gain.
When to Apply Collective Impact
Tynesia Boyea-Robinson; Living Cities, 2014 https://www.livingcities.org/blog/644-when-to-apply-collective-impact
Some social change practitioners are feeling pressured to apply “Collective Impact” to their work, given its popularity in the field. Since Collective Impact is one of many different tools, which model you should use is entirely dependent on the result that you are trying to achieve. This blog post will help you consider different models of cross-sector partnership in light of key factors.
Cultivating Talent
GovEx; What Works Cities, 2017 https://www.gitbook.com/book/centerforgov/cultivating-talent/details
In this guide, the Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) describes the core competencies that help modern governments accelerate the effective use of data and evidence. It provides sample position descriptions and ideas for where to recruit top talent. There are tips for taking advantage of existing talent by launching an analytics fellowship and building effective teams, along with sample skills assessments. Throughout the document, GovEx provides concrete examples of these tools in practice in cities across the country.
Understanding the Value of Backbone Organizations in Collective Impact: Part 1
Shiloh Turner, Kathy Merchant, John Kania & Ellen Martin; Greater Cincinnati Foundation, FSG, 2012 https://ssir.org/articles/entry/understanding_the_value_of_backbone_organizations_in_collective_impact_1
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) and the nonprofit consulting firm FSG have partnered to understand and evaluate the role of backbone organizations in collective impact efforts. The first in a four-part series, this blog post describes GCF’s motivations for funding backbone organizations. The series provides an in-depth review of what it takes to be a backbone organization, and how to evaluate and support its work.
Cross-Sector Partnership Assessment
Living Cities, 2015
https://www.livingcities.org/resources/300-cross-sector-partnership-assessment
Living Cities developed the free Cross-Sector Partnership Assessment to help those engaged in cross-sector partnerships, particularly collective impact partnerships, understand how to best work with stakeholders to achieve better outcomes for low-income people in cities. Use this free, 10-minute survey to think through the development and progress of your partnership and receive immediate, tailored feedback, tools, and resources to help you and your partners get better results, faster.
Ten Hacks from Code for America to Help You Hire
David Huebner, Mark Rossetti, Monique Baena-Tan; Code for America, 2017
https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/ten-hiring-hacks-from-code-for-america
Code for America wants tech-savvy civil servants to help improve public services. After studying hiring practices at cities and states across the US, they learned that governments need to use 21st century hiring practices in order to recruit the right talent. Even if you’re not in government, you may find these ten plays — each with guiding steps and real-life examples — useful for your organization.
How Civic Tech Volunteers Should Engage Government Staff
Jesse Biroscak; Code for America, 2017
https://medium.com/code-for-america/https-medium-com-jbiroscak-how-civic-tech-volunteers-should-engage-government-staff-d3a9f8eed3bd
This blog shares a civic technologist’s perspective on building cross-sector relationships with government staff. The author has seen civic tech projects succeed and fail as both a volunteer (as captain of Code for San Francisco) and as a product manager in government since 2015. In this piece, like-minded civic tech volunteers will find tips for working more constructively with government partners.
NNIP Partners and Local Governments Work Together to Tackle Community Challenges
Kathryn L.S. Pettit and G. Thomas Kingsley; NNIP, 2018
https://www.urban.org/research/publication/improving-public-decisionmaking-local-governments-and-data-intermediaries
Local governments should engage with data intermediary organizations, such as the members of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, to more effectively identify priority issues, find new allies, and devise data-driven policies and programs. In addition to their topical, analytic, and community engagement expertise, these organizations bring an understanding of local context, a reputation for impartial analysis, and relationships that span sectors. In this brief, you’ll find background on the emergence of data intermediaries and their current role, their distinctive characteristics and benefits, and recommendations for elected officials and staff for connecting with this expertise.
PLAYING TO WIN: Mayors’ Bi-state Innovation Team, December 2014
http://www.kcdigitaldrive.org/playbook/
With a community lens, the cities of Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO developed a playbook of creative ways to use Google Fiber to spark economic development, advance opportunities, and improve daily life. Digital inclusion — making technology accessible to everyone — is the first plank in the community’s digital platform. Acknowledging the energetic and enthusiastic community of technology professionals that already exists and has become connected in new and exciting ways as a result of Google Fiber, the playbook explores the potential to create new opportunities for businesses and residents alike, attracting new businesses and talented people to live and work and contribute in this community. The playbook includes their ecosystem model and captures the energy and visions that dwell in the Kansas Cities’ communities for becoming connected, smart, and innovative.
Explore the rest of the CTDC Toolkit:
