COMPACT LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION MODEL AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Facilitation Guide

The COMPACT Local Government Collaboration Model is a structured framework and facilitation guide aimed at fostering effective partnership between three key municipal stakeholders: administrators, councillors, and the community. Developed by Distillery and piloted in the Blue Crane Route and Newcastle municipalities, the model addresses a lack of collaboration identified through action research in 12 partner municipalities. The process consists of a preparation phase, a two-day workshop divided into five modules (Orientation, Making Sense of the Challenge, Vision and Hope, Implementing and Adapting, and Reflection and Learning), and a structured follow-up phase spanning 12 months. The guide includes specific facilitation tools such as stakeholder mapping, the Cynefin Framework for problem classification, and various 'energizers' to maintain participant engagement.

• The COMPACT programme, co-funded by the European Union from February 2022 to January 2026, aims to create a more accountable local government in South Africa by enhancing community participation in integrated development planning (IDP), specifically regarding water and sanitation.
• Action research conducted between 2022 and 2024 across 12 partner municipalities revealed a significant lack of collaboration between municipal administration, councillors, and the community, as well as internal silos where departments failed to plan together.
• The Collaboration Model is structured around five core elements: Purpose, Making Sense of the Challenge, Vision and Hope, Implementing and Adapting, and Reflecting and Learning.
• The 'Making Sense of the Challenge' module employs three specific techniques: immersion (on-site experience), the use of five different lenses (environmental, sociological, political, legal, and economic), and the Cynefin Framework to categorize problems as simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic.
• The implementation process is centered on a two-day workshop and a long-term follow-up schedule, including a session in the first month, a progress meeting at three months, and a deeper workshop at nine months.
• The model emphasizes the development of specific competencies throughout the collaboration process, including emotional intelligence, trust, problem-solving, shared vision, communication, adaptability, accountability, and reflection.
• The model was piloted in two specific South African local municipalities: Blue Crane Route in the Eastern Cape and Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (n.d.). COMPACT LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION MODEL AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Facilitation Guide. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COMPACT-LG-Collaboration-Model-Facilitation-Guide-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. COMPACT LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION MODEL AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Facilitation Guide. n.d. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COMPACT-LG-Collaboration-Model-Facilitation-Guide-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=COMPACT LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION MODEL AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Facilitation Guide |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COMPACT-LG-Collaboration-Model-Facilitation-Guide-FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitutendcompact, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{COMPACT LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION MODEL AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Facilitation Guide}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COMPACT-LG-Collaboration-Model-Facilitation-Guide-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }