Collaborative Community
Collaborators
In one of our first Park Leaders development programs held in Canmore in November 2018, Sylvie Plante, candidate in the Doctor of Social Sciences program of Royal Roads University, shared her research findings related to the important role that social capital plays in facilitating innovation, especially in the context of partnerships across sectors. This knowledge was informative for CPCIL itself, as it gave additional structure to the programming and relationship building we had initiated with CPCIL’s complementary programs and communities of practice, modeling the work of the Canadian Parks Council.
In this self-directed online learning module, you too can learn about the key concepts of social capital and boundary spanning, and how they support collaborative leadership, in innovation activities that span the public and private sectors. As we continue to build our Collective, we connect researchers and practitioners, and invest in new ways of learning and sharing resources with our community of parks leaders. As you progress through the module, enjoy the video that Sylvie and I recorded together to share our experiences! Learning tools like this support the application of diverse knowledge that can benefit the continuum of parks and protected areas.
Don Carruthers Den Hoed, PhD
Senior Fellow and Manager
Canadian Parks Collective for Innovation and Leadership
(CPCIL)
The research on innovation and collaboration in partnership settings that Sylvie Plante shared with CPCIL and the Canadian Parks Council (CPC) in November 2018 shed light on the “boundary spanning” dimensions of my role as the CPC Executive Director, and the strategic value of investing in relationship building and partnering to support innovation, as well as organizational effectiveness.
In my briefing report to CPC members in 2019, I wrote about “the value of CPC’s growing social capital”. We continue to extend this through our engagement, management and stewardship across Parks and protected areas. Our involvement in the Canadian Parks Conference also exemplifies our role as a “boundary spanning organization” that facilitates collaboration.
The CPC collaborates with CPCIL to expand professional development offerings across our network. This self-directed online resource is an easy-to-use and accessible guide to the most recent research on how to make use of social capital and boundary spanning, as collaborative leaders who put a priority on innovation.
Thank you Sylvie for sharing your evidence and insights with our community of practice!
Dawn Carr
Executive Director
Canadian Parks Council
(CPC)