A Village for Every Child
A Village for Every Child is focused on bringing the Belconnen community together to improve life outcomes for children living in Belconnen.
Village Goals for
Village Structure
Village’s structure reflects that of a typical Collective Impact initiative with a Leadership Group, a number of Working Groups and a Backbone which supports the work of Village. We currently have three WG’s in operation. The Backbone is the funded part of Village and this funding is provided by the ACT Education Directorate and the Federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment (Connected Beginnings).
The Leadership Group’s role is to set strategic direction, align own organisation’s work to the common agenda, evaluate the initiative, have oversight of the Working Groups, support the work of the Backbone, implement strategies and activities in line with Village goals and convene regularly. It is made up of people who are decision makers and have a level of authority – typically CEO’s and Directors – from the community sector and Executive Branch managers or Directors from within government.
The Leadership Group is made up of non-government and government partners. Find out more
Working Groups are the heartbeat of our collective impact: where action occurs, and goals are brought to life.
These groups bring service providers and a range of stakeholders together to contribute their time, expertise, passions, and lived experience. They drive the impact of the initiative by progressing the actions towards the project goals.
The collaborative work that members undertake will contribute directly to the Village Theory of Change and to the overarching vision of A Village for Every Child.
Working Groups are made up of people who have some connection to the area of focus within the group. They may be a practitioner or community member who has first-hand knowledge of, or experience with the issue the Working Group is focused on. They may also have research expertise or other skill sets that can support the work. Find out more.
The Backbone Team is one of the conditions of Collective Impact. It is hosted by UnitingCare Kippax. It is dedicated to aligning and coordinating the work, including embedding Collective Impact practice, building and maintaining the focus around the common agenda, supporting Leadership and Working Groups, providing administrative and secretariat support, reporting, and cultivating community engagement. It is currently made up of a Manager, Coordinator, Community Development Officer, Communications and Administration Officer and Communications Officer.
Village Guiding Documents
The following documents have been developed and are now embedded across the work. They are reference points for decisions about how Village and its partners respond to emerging needs, co-designing actions and planning and overseeing implementation. These documents will be reviewed as part of the reflection on action cycle that contributes to the overarching learning and evaluation process.
In June 2023, the Leadership Group began work to develop principles for how Village intends to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Belconnen. As part of this process, the Leadership Group are identifying what the principles look like in practice. The principles will underpin ongoing relationship building with Yerrabi Yurwang as we implement Connected Beginnings together.