Challenges and Strategies for the Sustainability and Viability of Non Profit Multi-Tenant Service Centres: A Literature Review

This literature review was prepared for the Department of Communities, Queensland Government by Dr June Lennie, Principal Consultant, June Lennie Research and Evaluation, in April 2007. It highlights that developing and implementing multi-tenant service centres, integrated service delivery and other forms of collaborative arrangements presents many challenges and issues for community-based not for profit organisations. This report clearly sets out the key challenges and issues involved and presents a range of strategies for maintaining the sustainability, viability and success of shared service centres.

Challenges and Strategies for the Sustainability and Viability of Non Profit Multi-Tenant Service Centres: A Literature Review

This report was prepared for the Department of Communities, Queensland Government by Dr June Lennie, Principal Consultant, June Lennie Research and Evaluation, in April 2007. It highlights that developing and implementing multi-tenant service centres, integrated service delivery and other forms of collaborative arrangements presents many challenges and issues for community-based not for profit organisations. Drawing on literature published in Australia, the USA and Canada, this report clearly sets out the key challenges and issues involved and presents a range of strategies for maintaining the sustainability, viability and success of shared service centres. These strategies are discussed under three broad categories:

1. Factors and strategies related to government and community support
2. Factors and strategies related to planning and implementation of initiatives
3. Factors and strategies related to the ongoing operation of initiatives.

Strategies for sustainability identified include:

• Community and stakeholder ownership and support, built through direct democratic participation in decision making
• Identification and involvement of passionate champions
• Developing an appropriate coordinating structure and capacity
• Understanding the local ‘big picture’
• Strong, clear, appropriate and common mission, vision, purpose and values
• Adopting a holistic, community development approach
• Developing a culture based on service excellence, continuous learning and improvement
• Ongoing capacity building and training
• Developing a realistic and effective framework for the ongoing, long-term monitoring and evaluation of outcomes, performance and process
• Development of service networks that support coordination in the field with parallel coordination within government and planning bodies.

A copy of this report can be found at: http://www.qld.gov.au/ngo/strengthening/collaboration/

For further information

Contact	:	June Lennie
Address	:	22 Rambler Street, Bardon QLD 4065
Phone	:	(07) 3371 9235
Email	:	j.lennie@bigpond.net.au

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