Organizational democracy and collaborative leadership
This page is dedicated to sharing what we have learned from our own attempts to put collaborative and democratic principles into practice at COCo. The resources provided include documents that track how COCo's re-structuring experience unfolded, practical examples of other organizational models that have inspired us, as well as various articles and general reflections. We hope you will use them to help your community group nurture a more democratic and collaborative way of working.
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*The evolution of COCo's restructuring process* - click here to view
An overview of the phases of COCo's journey moving towards a more collaborative team-based structure.
*Learnings from COCo's restructuring years* - click here to view
A few key learnings from COCo's experience moving towards a more collaborative team-based structure.
*Inter Pares: A Case Study in Democratic Management * - click here to view
An overview of why and how Inter Pares, an international social justice organization based in Ottawa, moved towards a democratic management structure, as well as the impact and implications of this change.
*Inter Pares Staff Agreement* - click here to view
Inter Pares' staff agreement that outlines their co-operative management principles, structure, processes, work conditions, salary policy, and sample job descriptions.
*SLRP Collective Member Handbook* - click here to view
Sylvia Rivera Law Project's member handbook that provides a detailed overview of their collective management principles, structure, processes, work conditions, job descriptions and policies.
*A Collaborative Approach to Organizational Structure * - click here to view
Guiding principles compiled in 2006 from a literature review to help inform COCo's initial decision to move towards a more collaborative structure.
*An Approach to 100% Consensus* - click here to view
*The Tyranny of Structurelessness* - click here to view
A classic article, written in 1970 and targeting women's liberation groups, that emphasizes the importance of naming and examining the informal structures that exist in all groups, whether formal or informal in structure.
*Embracing Organizational Transitions: Lessons from the Field* - click here to view
An overview of key points for community groups to consider when navigating periods of intense change.
*Creating Leaderful Organizations* - click here to view
Key learnings captured from attending a retreat on collaborative leadership organized by the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement.
Organization Unbound* - click here to view
A project that explores the link between organizational engagement and social change. How can community groups become living expressions of their missions and values? How might we turn even the simplest, most common activities - staff meetings, phone calls, intakes, evaluations, fundraising- into energizing and engaging experiences that connect people more fully to each other and to the organization's deep purpose?
The Valence Theory* - click here to view
This website contains the PhD thesis of Mark Federman, which explores a range of organizational cultures from those that are bureaucratic, administratively controlled and hierarchical on one extreme to those that are highly flexible and centered around collective responsibility and mutual accountability on the other. He looks at government, for-profit, and nonprofit contexts. The chapter entitled "A brief, 3,000-year History of the Future of Organization" is particularly thought-provoking.
The Southern Wall - the art of engagement at Santropol Roulant - click here to view
Santropol Roulant is an important community space and continues to learn from the many people who are at the heart of the organization and its vitality and who give their time, energy, ideas and support. This resource documents their developmental history.
Les Boîtes à outils sur la gouvernance démocratique - click here to view