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policyprofiles VOL . 8, NO. 1 MAY 2008 Four networks of public, CENTER FOR GOVERNMENTAL STUDIE S Northern Illinois University private, and not-for- profit organizations in DuPage County provide issue: Building Effective Network Governance an excellent example in the Chicago Region of how government by Curtis Wood, Northern Illinois University networking can be used to fight poverty. Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two part series in Policy Profiles on the importance The networks provide of networking in today’s public management. Based on the author’s study of DuPage a spider web of dense County’s use of networking to address health and human service problems, this Profile offers a model which can be used to mobilize and coordinate resources to attack other and cohesive inter- urban area problems as well. The first Policy Profile on this subject can be found on the organizational linkages web at http://www.cgsniu.org/portfolio/policy_profiles/index.html that promote common public service goals in the provision of health The evolution of the use of networking in public management is more than a concept; it is and human services in a mode of operation already being used to good advantage. This second part of the Policy the county. Profiles series offers a roadmap for building successful crosscutting networks across the seven-county Chicago region by drawing upon lessons learned from the intersectoral The DuPage networking network governance model already being practiced in DuPage County, Illinois. model provides an effective alternative way What is intersectoral networking? How is intersectoral networking used in to address and solve DuPage County? intractable health and Intersectoral networking refers to a human service problems problem-solving approach which blends Many examples of intersectoral networking on a regional, multi- together the resources of a variety of could be cited, but none more important county level. agencies–governments, not-for-profit than the effort to use networking to improve agencies, non-governmental organiza- the delivery of health and human services tions (NGO’s), for-profit corporations, in DuPage County, Illinois. Such networking can and sometimes even other private groups also be applied to other – to accomplish public service objectives.1 The suburbanization of poverty in the regional functions and Because intersectoral networking involves Chicago region and the inaction or dead- issues such as economic the coordinated efforts of a cooperating lock demonstrated by the state and federal and community group of public, not-for-profit, and private governments has placed inordinate pres- development, the agencies, executives must redefine their sures on public institutions to provide environment, land use, core responsibilities from managing people comprehensive health and human services and transportation. and programs to coordinating resources to an increasingly diverse and vulnerable from diverse sources in order to deliver population. In suburban DuPage County, public services. the county government, non-profits, and for-profits have responded by creating CENTER FOR GOVERNMENTAL STUDIE S 2 Northern Illinois University policyprofiles information provider, network broker, illustrationone DuPage County Medical and Human Service Networks manager, and, in some instances, a direct The four health and human service networks studied in the research upon which this service provider to clients. paper is based are as follows: There is also evidence that the Mosaic The network working to ensure access to medical care for all uninsured Strategy approach works effectively over persons in the county. Access DuPage, Inc is the network administrative time. In the medical access network– organization (NAO) responsible for facilitating the overall management of the network. DuPage County’s oldest and most established network–the relationships between The network coordinating access to mental health care in the county. The the network partners, and between the co-NAO’s are Access DuPage, Inc. and the DuPage Federation on Human NAO and the network partners, are more Services Reform (the Federation). cohesive and integrated than those in the younger mental health and language access The network promoting language access. The Federation serves as the NAO. networks that are still filling gaps in service and developing network rules, norms, and The network coordinating services and care for the homeless. The DuPage strategic plans. County Community Services Department serves as the NAO. How does leadership impact network services? four crosscutting health and human ser- How does structure affect networks? This research has also found that intra vice delivery networks (See Illustration and inter network success depends upon One above). Prior research has found that networks en- a critical mass of enlightened leaders. gaged in the provision of services are more Enlightened leaders embody the attributes The organizations operating within the four likely to achieve success when the efforts of and characteristics found in Illustration Two networks constitute what has been called the collaborating agencies are coordinated on the next page.4 the “neural” network— a spider web of by an established and recognized structure dense and cohesive inter-organizational that balances the tensions inevitably arising In addition, some enlightened leaders linkages that promote common public between the network needs for centraliza- rise to the status of what might be called service goals in the provision of health and tion and decentralization, coordination and transcendent leaders. Transcendent leaders 2 3 human services in DuPage County. autonomy, and unity and diversity. Consis- are distinct from enlightened leaders in tent with prior research, the DuPage study that transcendent leaders are inordinately This research involving the four health reveals that a federated structure used by connected to the leaders and organizations and human service networks serving the four DuPage County health and human in the other DuPage County health and DuPage County found that intra-network service networks (called the Mosaic Strat- human service networks as well as to net- and inter-network success can be achieved egy) permits sufficient integration through works outside the DuPage County neural through 1) a federated network structure, 2) contacts between network partners and network (See Endnote 2). The managers of enlightened and transcendent leadership in centralized coordination through the Net- the three NAOs identified a critical mass each network, and 3) the overlap of services work Administrative Organization (NAO). of 11 transcendent leaders from seven and organizations found in the heart of the The NAOs provide the primordial glue that organizations. neural network holds their respective networks together by serving as the convener, advocate, planner, CENTER FOR GOVERNMENTAL STUDIE S CENTER FOR GOVERNMENTAL STUDIE S Northern Illinois University 3 policyprofiles what might be called the heart of the neural illustrationtwo Attributes of an Enlightened Leader network (See Illustration Three on the next page). The network managers report that, 1. Enlightened leaders act as statespersons by placing the interests and goals of within the heart of the neural network, the community and network above those of an organization when there is a dense patterns of contact occur between tension between the goals of the organization and the network or community. organizations, making it possible to deliver comprehensive and seamless health and 2. Enlightened leaders act as champions by being committed to achieving social human services. justice and social reform. 3. Enlightened leaders act as boundary spanners by building relationships across Not surprisingly, the 11 transcendent lead- organizations within the individual networks. ers identified by the network managers work in organizations situated in the heart 4. Enlightened leaders act as transformational leaders who are able to unite the of the neural network. These transcendent network and community around a common vision, goals, and values through a leaders are connected to broader networks strategic planning process. and thus are well positioned to address complex regional and state issues and 5. Enlightened leaders have earned the respect and admiration of community challenges. leaders, other organizational leaders, staff, and clientele because they embody commitment and expertise. Can the DuPage networking model be used elsewhere? 6. As managers, enlightened leaders competently use activation, framing, mobilization, and synthesizing skills.5 The intersectoral network governance 7. Enlightened leaders possess internalized professional norms that encourage model practiced in DuPage County has service excellence, coordination, and an overriding commitment to the proven to be effective in addressing com- community, network, and client. plex interconnected problems, and as such can serve as “best practices” for other coun- ties wanting to create or improve their own What is the relationship between neural network incrementally and inextricably health and human services programs. network effectiveness and overlapping grew as more intersectoral partners were networks? brought in who had the resources and The networking model also provides much Findings from the DuPage study support capacity to help reduce the gap between promise as a means for addressing and solv- what other researchers

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