Collective Impact
We all want a local community that is connected, sustainable and thriving for everyone. But there are issues which cause disadvantage for many people. The challenges can be too complex for any one organisation or group to solve.
If you’re working to tackle the big issues around community wellbeing, inclusion, connection, opportunity and living more lightly; this is the place for you.
Here we outline how you can tap into support from City of Coffs Harbour. We help local organisations to connect, collaborate and problem solve together using the Collective Impact approach and Sector Action Plans. Sector Action Plans are a tool that help us take real action together, for our community.
A Sector Action Plan is a tool created using the Collective Impact approach to help a group of organisations and stakeholders achieve outcomes for our local community together.
- City of Coffs Harbour creates the foundation for the plan. This includes gathering background evidence, local research and consultation.
- We then collaborate with stakeholders to develop the plan together.
- We also support by leading regular meetings to the track progress of the plan.
- Refugee Sector Action Plan - contact the Community Planning team at Council about viewing the plan.
- A Homelessness Sector Action Plan is being developed - contact the Community Planning team at Council about getting involved in the development of this plan.
Supporting people from refugee backgrounds settle in our community or people experiencing homelessness is just the beginning. Potential Sector Action Plans may address areas such as how to support young people in our local area.
To find out more about the action we are taking for people with a disability or older people in our area see the Disability Inclusion Access Plan (PDF, 4MB) and the Positive Ageing Strategy (PDF, 2MB)
If you're part of a local organisation, we'd love you to get involved in one of the current Sector Action Plans. The plans are not about creating more work. They help us work smarter together. We can share ideas and problems, and come up with real actions and solutions for our community.
Developing a Sector Action Plan
We help with the background foundation for the plan. As a stakeholder organisation, you would be part of the ongoing development of the plan itself.
Tracking progress
There are usually two all-stakeholder meetings per year which you would attend. That’s when everyone involved in a sector, for example the refugee sector or the housing sector, comes together to share:
- work they are doing
- opportunities to work together
- outcomes achieved.
We support and guide the meetings.
Themes
Key priority areas or themes are also identified in the plan to help focus our conversations and meetings. Depending on which theme is most relevant for your work, there may be two or more thematic meetings per year that you could also attend.
In the thematic meetings we go through the Action Plan – there’s no need to pre-prepare. Just come ready to give an update about any of the actions that you’re working on or any new actions you are taking.
If we need to, we can collectively choose to update the plan and actions to make sure we best support and assist our community.
Benefits of being involved
- You have access to the data, research and evidence collected by us in the Plan. This can assist with funding applications, environmental scans or reports.
- You have our support to plan and guide the Sector Action Plan meetings.
- You will also be part of a group working collaboratively on actions and outcomes for the Coffs Harbour community.
Contact
To find out more contact the Community Planning team:
The Homelessness Sector
Across the LGA there are a range of support services, community groups and business that are invested in addressing our homelessness situation. These are known as stakeholders in the homelessness sector.
Seeking solutions together
The City of Coffs Harbour has identified the need to work collaboratively with the homelessness sector in Coffs Harbour as the best approach to tackle issues such as homelessness. work on a Homelessness Strategy by Council and a draft Homelessness Sector Action Plan (HSAP) by those who work in the homelessness space in the Coffs Harbour LGA is underway.
To date, localised research as identified seven key priority areas to focus the collaborative effort:
- accommodation and housing
- prevention and early intervention
- young people
- health, trauma, domestic violence and lived experience
- system and sector improvement
- public place management
- disaster resilience and response.
If you’re part of a local organisation invested in this sector, find out how to get involved by contacting the Community Planning team at the City
The Refugee sector
In the Coffs Harbour LGA, there are a range of local services, community organisations and businesses that support community members from a refugee background. These are known as stakeholders: combined they make up the Refugee Sector.
We worked with the Refugee Sector to help develop the Coffs Harbour Refugee Sector Action Plan.
Seeking solutions together
Together we identified the problems people from refugee backgrounds face when they settle in our community. We also worked together to identify solutions.
For the Refugee Sector, seven key priority areas or themes were identified to focus the collective effort:
- Children, families and people feeling isolated
- Physical and mental health and wellbeing
- Education and building skills
- Helping people to get and keep paid work
- Supporting people to find somewhere affordable to live
- Having a range of services and activities to support and assist
- Creating safe and comfortable places and spaces in our community
There are specific groups who work on each theme. Each group meets twice a year to look at the actions outlined in the plan, what progress has been made and outcomes achieved.
We also have two meetings each year where all stakeholders meet.
If you’re part of a local organisation working in the refugee sector, find out how to get involved by contacting the Community Planning team at Council.