Re-examining power and privilege in collective impact

Abstract

The dual purpose of this article is to deconstruct the collective impact approach’s treatment of power and privilege while reconstructing the model’s potential to encourage equity agendas in community change. Drawing on discourse analysis of three articles describing collective impact and case studies of two equity-oriented partnerships, analyses explore entry points for framing collective impact in ways that encourage equity as a foundation to partnership practices. Analyses suggest that the original descriptions of the approach referenced by community partners promote the marketization of change and a universal view of success, which mask opportunities to draw on the strengths of individuals and address the distribution of resources. However, partners in two communities in the US were able to use shared measurement practices to layer equity agendas onto the approach. Partners in these cases went beyond the guidance provided through the collective impact approach’s tenets at the advice of funders and community partners.

Keywords:

• Case study
• community change
• community partnerships
• discourse analysis
• equity

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the participating community partnership members for their willingness to give the learning process priority in busy schedules and express gratitude for their candid reflections on their work in community change. Without these participants, this scholarship would not be possible. All findings and discussion are the sole expression of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the foundation.