ABSTRACT
Snyder and Briggs (2003) described the experiences of four different publicsector collaborative programs for community development: Boost4Kids, SafeCities, 21st Century Skills, and the Federal Highway Administration’s Rumble Strips Initiative. Their IBM Business of Government-sponsored report focused on the methods the people behind these innovative programs used to develop local networks to build local coalitions, operate after-school programs, link education to job training, trace illegal guns, and improve highway safety. The networks combined a number of different learning activities to develop and share the knowledge needed to grow the coalitions. The underlying concept tying the four programs together was development of a collaborative learning culture based on trust and mutual respect. These programs succeeded because the cultural barriers that often make it impossible for KM to succeed were replaced by a culture of collaboration, trust, and commitment.
