Connections and cross-sector working during coronavirus

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This research develops a fuller understanding of cross-sector collaboration across public, community and third sector organisations and the emerging range of coronavirus (COVID-19) focused community groups.

It’s aim is to improve how different organisations work together, and with communities, both in response to, and emerging out of, the covid-19 pandemic.

The research was carried out by Cathy Sharp from Research for Real for the Scottish Voluntary and Communities Sector Resilience Advisory Group. It is based on a survey of key stakeholders and ten stories of practice. The report highlights the often unusual or ingenious response to problem-solving that might offer inspiration to others.

Click to download the full report (PDF)

Key findings and challenges include:

  • Collaboration improved the speed and effectiveness of local reponses to Covid-19.

  • The research illustrates a sense of ‘doing the right thing’, that barriers were being broken down, and that collaboration that might have seemed a stretch in the past, was now possible.

  • The COVID-19 response has cemented local relationships and connections and enabled the development of some newer ones, with a strong focus on the very local.

  • The response has been largely from staff and volunteers in locally focused community and voluntary sector groups, where over half of organisations had not been involved in resilience work before.

  • The whole experience of the pandemic has been a period of rapid learning, creativity and adaptation as people have stepped outside the usual ways of working. This has created important shifts in mindsets and ways of working and has enabled a broader understanding of resilience to encompass wellbeing, as well as emergency response.

  • For some, there was disappointment in a lack of communication or leadership where it had been expected.

  • There has been duplicated support and clashes of meetings in some areas, exposing a need for better coordination. Funding was not always available.

  • There were also many difficulties associated with working online, including unease or inability to use, or blockage of certain IT platforms and delays in finalising data-sharing agreements and purchasing devices.

  • Disputes, conflict, and fragmentation have sometimes been ascribed to tiredness, personality clashes and lack of support from outside. Some groups encountered resistance from established elected councillors and officials and difficulties in getting timely and relevant information from regional level agencies.

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