Today, collaboration seems to be "cool" - or is it "hot?" Everybody's doing it - federal and state agencies, foundations, community organizations – even technology companies are selling collaboration software that allows people to work together on-line" to meet mutual goals.

Why network or collaborate with other local governments? Sometimes you just can't do it all, or you can do it more effectively, or more efficiently, when you work with other local governments. Leaders today are looking for ways to leverage their funding to provide services for their constituents. Intergovernmental agreements may be the way to go for some of these projects.

Naturally, there are laws that govern how local governments can develop intergovernmental agreements. Local governments seeking to enter into multi-jurisdictional agreements should work with their legal representatives to develop intergovernmental agreements that meet legal tests.

How do you build relationships with other governments to create shared services? These days, it's all about trust and organizational integrity. Here are the five characteristics Warren Bennis* says you should possess – and look for - in organizations you are collaborating with:

Competence – you have to be competent in what you do. Naturally, you should expect competence from local governments you partner with.

Constancy – you need a set of shared, consistent values. You are looking for a mutual vision of successful service delivery.

Caring – you understand and empathize with their goals.

Candor – if an organization's leaders are not open and direct, there is not much hope for mutual success.

Congruity – it's important to be authentic. Go into the agreement with sincere intentions to accomplish the mutually created goals.

*Warren Bettis, "Leading in Tougher Times" a presentation at the Investment in America Forum, 2002. The Drucker Foundation.

An effective collaboration has these characteristics:

• The group accomplishes shared vision, mission, results and impacts
• There is an inter-dependent system of ongoing support
• There is concensus in shared decision-making
• The agreement includes formal roles (who does what), specific commitments of resources, and evaluation. Relationships are formal and written in work plans.

Leadership, trust, and productivity levels are high.

- Jeri Marxman, Extension Specialist, Public Policy

Not every youth can be reached through the traditional community 4-H club. For this reason, University of Illinois Extension has a variety of "delivery systems" to assist youth in becoming competent adults. For example, in a previous article we talked about Operation Safe Kids an after school or classroom curriculum designed to help school-age children develop the skills they need to care for themselves.

But what about kids during the summer? For the past three years, U of I Extension has sponsored Camp Clover. Between 2000 and 2002 more than 11,000 "4-H Clover Campers" have gained knowledge and skills about the world around them while learning to relate well to others. A new health session introduced this past summer was "Physical Activity for Fun." Physical activity is key in combating the epidemic of obesity among youth. More than 80 percent of the 1,850 youth participating in this session learned to determine if exercise was effectively increasing their heart rates and planned to try a new physical fitness activity at home. Some 1,400 youth learned how to select an appropriate diet and safely prepare food. Youth learned more about their community and performed community service projects: discovered aerospace, environmental and plant sciences, and learned more about living in today's world of diverse cultures.

Camp Clover is an effective way to reach youth not served by traditional 4-H clubs. Only one out of every eight campers were current 4-H members.

- Charlie Clark, Extension Specialist Program Evaluation

http://www.legis.state.il.us/ilcs/ch5/ch5act220.htm
Illinois Intergovernmental Cooperation Act

http://www.ag.state.il.us/publications/pubs.htm
publications available from the office of the Illinois Attorney General online

http://www.ag.state.il.us/pdf/openmeet02.pdf
Illinois Open Meeting Guide

http://www.ag.state.il.us/pdf/giftban.pdf
Opinion on the Gift Ban Act, state of Illinois

http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/campclover/organizational/organizational.html
Camp Clover information online

The University of Illinois and its Extension do not promote or embrace the views of any of the mentioned websites, they are given as a point for the reader to explore the issue.

- Amy L.H. Heilveil