Public works departments can become siloed within a vertical organizational structure and culture. At the same time, their central responsibilities have great overlap in the goal to serve their constituents’ and community’s infrastructure needs. But how can we functionally create this space when the vertical hierarchies and individual department mentality are ingrained in our organizations? Instead of only a vertical leadership channel, increasing the horizontal flow of information may create greater opportunities for innovation and efficiency. Pima County implemented a horizontal collaboration space across many public works departments, starting with our chief operating officers—those deputy directors who work with everyday operations managing staff and still need to bridge gaps between department mission and vision. This session will help participants look within their organizations for opportunities to create partnerships to increase collaboration and innovation, drawing on real-life examples.

Contributor/Source

Nancy Cole;Kathryn Skinner

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