June 2025
We all agree that shifting power to those most affected by decisions is the right thing to do. But if that’s true, why do so many well-intentioned collaborations still end in conflict, confusion, and the same old power imbalances? As Rodney Greene, Governance Practice Lead at CFI, aptly puts it—these moments often leave us asking, ‘WTF just happened?’
So… why does this keep happening?
At the recent Prevention in Place Conference—hosted by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in Narrm/Melbourne—CFI’s Rodney Greene and Laura Barnes spoke about how community collectives and movements, like ChangeFest, are shifting their own structures and practices to ensure place-based approaches don’t reinforce the same systems of inequality over again.
Rodney shared CFI’s insights on what happens when we attempt to build collaborative structures and practices to drive change—often referred to as collaborative governance.
🔸It’s how collaborations organise around a shared purpose.
🔸It means working across organisational, sectoral and community boundaries.
🔸It’s also about creating a “holding environment” where the entire ecosystem can engage and contribute.
Rodney highlighted some of the key challenges to collaborative governance, including:
🔸Personal egos and organisational agendas that as act as barriers to change
🔸Mental models across systems that create confusion and conflict (which Rodney referred to as the “WTF moments”)
🔸Traditional forms of authority and accountability that aren’t fit-for-purpose in community-led contexts
He emphasized the power of developing a shared purpose to address these challenges—one that not only clearly defines the change the collective is striving for, but also fosters a narrative of agency from within the group and a commitment to agreed-upon ways of working.
Powerful collectives identify a burning platform, believe they can put out the fire, and know exactly how they will work together to do it.
Missed the session?
We’ve got you covered. A multi-part blog series on collaborative governance is coming soon.
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