Opportunities for Collaboration Across Human Services Programs

The Finance Project Welfare Information Network

[The following is excerpted from the Introduction.]

Purpose of this Paper
The importance of collaboration and cooperation in the development and implementation of human service programs at the state and local level is increasing dramatically both from the perspective of effective services to families and that of efficiently stewarding resources in a time of fiscal pressure.
This paper provides agency and program leaders, governors staff, and legislative staff with a concise overview of some of the major human service programs administered at the state and local level. It also discusses the interdependence of those programs, their common goals, and the way in which those programs might work together. While directed largely at individuals new to these responsibilities it can also prove of value to more experienced staff as well.

Background
The leaders of state human services agencies and programs face an extraordinary series of challenges in the years ahead. These challenges are exacerbated by a combination of factors, including a slower than expected economic recovery, the extremely tight fiscal situation of government at all levels, and a continuing change in the underlying structure of federal programs as they go through the reauthorization process.
Increasingly, political leaders, advocates, researchers and public administrators are recognizing that social problems cannot always be solved within the constraints of individual programs and funding silos. Many families and individuals face multiple problems. And, many problems cannot be solved within the confines of a single program. As a result, there is a growing recognition that success will, in many cases, depend upon the ability of government to work with nonprofits and the private sector to create ready access to the comprehensive services needed.
While there are, and will be, many attempts to achieve comprehensive services through statutory changes and formal requirements for the integration of services, these efforts will probably fall short of the mark. As a result, both short- and long-term improvements will probably depend on efforts at the state and local levels to improve cooperation and coordination among existing programs and organizations.
Such efforts are difficult at best and are often hampered by a lack of information on the roles and responsibilities of other program and agencies. Efforts often fail because they begin with a demand for what one agency needs, rather than with the recognition of common goals and objectives or with a willingness to bring a resource to the table that can be shared with others.
In an effort to encourage greater dialogue at the national level, The Finance Projects Welfare Information Network invited leadership from ten organizations that represent state officials that administer fourteen human service programs to come together to discuss their individual organizations and to examine areas where they might work together. At its first meeting, this group identified the importance of collaboration at the service delivery level. It also noted the lack of information and tools that could assist their members in exploring opportunities for collaboration. Following an intensive discussion, the organizations agreed to explore a number of joint activities. This publication represents the first of those activities.

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