Interaction Dictionary

In the Collective Portfolio stage of a worksystem the contextual factors affecting outcomes and performance of a worksystem are considered. When collaboration is used in joint initiatives, it is useful to classify or organize collaborative activities around three levels of action : operational, policy making and institutional.

Operational Level

This is where actors take action autonomously. Because of the wide variety of actors, also their processes, interactions and related initiatives show a wide variety. This level is important because it is the only level where actions lead to direct improvements (Imperial, 2001, p. 155-156).

Policy making Level

This is the world of collective decisions made by individuals and organizations to determine, enforce, continue, or alter future actions at the operational level (Kiser and Ostrom 1982, 208). These activities do not have a direct effect on the real world. Instead, they influence, guide, and constrain operational-level activities. Thus, they tend to perform a steering function by focusing on improving communication between the actors, coordinating actions, and integrating policies so that each agency’s decision-making processes advance collective goals (Peters and Pierre 1998; Osborne and Gaebler 1992). Types of collaboration at this level include knowledge sharing, resource sharing, policy sharing, regulations and social norms, monitoring and enforcement (Imperial, 2001, p. 165).

Institutional Level

The institutional level involves developing the collective choice mechanisms that govern future interactions or decision-making at the policy-making or operational levels. Types of collaboration at this level include the formalization of shared policies and norms in a memorandum of understanding (MOU), the incorporation into some sort of plan or decision-making process that guides or constrains individual or collective activities at the policy-making or operational level. It might involve creating a new program within an agency dedicated to advancing shared policies or priorities. It may also involve the creation of a new collaborative organization. Institutional level decisions precede and constrain interactions and decisions at the policy-making level. Institutional level activities are important because they improve the collective capacity for solving environmental problems and create institutional infrastructure that future organizations can build upon. It also makes collaborative activities at the policymaking level less dependent on personal relationships or leaders that are hard to replace (Imperial, 2001, p 181-182).

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