Source: Concertation Saint-Léonard
Putting a neighbourhood dream into action
For over 50 years, residents, agencies, and institutions have been joining forces in Montreal’s neighbourhoods to find solutions to their community’s problems.
Through local roundtables, they come together to work on issues related to poverty and social exclusion.
They work on all aspects to help improve living conditions: housing; food security; academic success; transportation; safety; access to leisure, sports and culture; employment; and citizen participation.
As they have gained in experience, Montreal’s neighbourhood roundtables have become the pioneers of an innovative approach known as collective impact.
This approach was described notably in an article by John Kania and Mark Kramer called “Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work” that was published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
This article talks about the conditions for success that boost the impact of collective approaches in neighbourhoods.
Conditions for successful collective impact (update 2021)
- Support structure, governance and mutual trust.
- Shared aspirations and shared action plan.
- Inclusive community engagement and communications.
- Assessment and strategic learning.
- Strategies that spread impact and influence.