As a cat lover and admirer, I’ve always been troubled by the expression “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Why on earth would anyone want to skin a cat? But I have to admit, the saying makes a valid point. Any problem or goal can, and should, be approached from multiple perspectives and directions.  The important thing is that all of the contributors need to know what specifically they and all of the others are doing to accomplish the goal.

I learned about the Theory of Aligned Contributions as part of a workshop on Results-Based Accountability, sponsored by the Staten Island Foundation. The theory posits that there’s no ONE way to get it done (whatever “it” may be).  In short, it is a framework to for getting service providers on the same page and working together instead of in silos.  Much like its more prominent sibling Collective Impact, the Theory of Aligned Contributions is a multi-sector, results-based approach to collaboration that is intended to achieve a population-level result.

Also much like Collective Impact, service providers bemoan the “extra work” that comes with this broader, more coordinated approach.  I say, if the extra work will generate positive results, then it’s well worth the trouble.  Anyone who disagrees should be somewhere else doing something else, and leave the cat-skinning to those of us who are willing to do it together.

For those who dare to go tumbling down the rabbit hole of collaboration, here’s a link to an article on the Theory of Aligned Contributions.