Worksheet1 How clusters are different
How clusters are different | 1.2
Clusters provide a framework within which a number of different issues can be addressed. Structurally, they fall between the sort of informal networking which is familiar within the sector, and the formal structures which are necessary when a group of organisations come together to deliver services under contract.
They are established with a clear intention to invest time in achieving a concrete outcome (building the capacity of the individual members through collaborative effort), but the specific goals are generally not defined at the outset; they are more likely to emerge as the members of the cluster get used to working together and develop a shared understanding of the issues they have in common. The catalyst for forming a cluster may be a shared feeling of vulnerability, a hope or an opportunity rather than a clear picture of a particular end.
The table below sets out some of the other differences between clusters and other forms of collaboration.
