Collaborative governance is the way groups organise themselves to achieve their goal. They are usually between different organisations or agencies that have their own leadership mechanisms. However, they use a collaborative governance framework to support joint decision-making and management of a project or program of work.

Collaborative Governance: An introductory practice guide was created by Jennifer Chaplyn and Sharon Fraser (Clarion Call) and Lisa Ryan (Collaboration for Impact). It has been published here with permission of the authors.

This helpful guide provides practical information and steps needed to use collaborative governance. It covers:

1. What is collaborative governance?
2. Why is it needed and how is it different from traditional governance?
3. Collaborative governance across three stages:
   • Early stage: Building readiness
   • Mid-stage: Foundations for a shared agenda
   • Mature stage: Scaling for impact
4. Principles that guide collaborative governance