Replication Toolkit Phase:

Center & Converge

Guiding Tip: Find out if friends are fierce or false.

Trust and accountability should always be in the same sentence when describing cross-sector partnerships. 

BJC’s relationship with Hennepin County (its key funder and partner) is a model for authentic, effective and trusted partnership in that: 

  • We determined together how we could contribute to a shared vision and then lived up to our respective responsibilities.  

  • The County was willing and able to relax traditional levels of control by co-creating with community new and innovative ways to implement and communicate accountability.

  • The County identified one staff person who was deeply involved in and committed to the BJC work, which enabled her to translate and bridge between government and community.

To Center & Converge

Recruit a cross-sector leadership coalition

  • Ask the Coalition to use both knowledge and wisdom to develop action strategies

  • Prioritize work within each strategy that will meaningfully move you forward

  • Design and ask community to refine action plans until they are ready to implement

Steps to Center & Converge

Reflection on Centering & Converging:

Remember that sovereignty IS systems change.

Communities are consistently asked to solve problems they neither created nor have influence to change. If they are not successful, they are judged harshly. 

The BJC Partners began with an eye towards changing systems “out there” but gradually and instinctively moved to transforming themselves and focusing their deep expertise, wisdom and influence to better support their communities.

We learned that building sovereignty IS systems change.

Click below to learn about each phase.