Collaboration and social innovation are things we talk about a lot in public policy.  They are axiomatic solutions to a supply-and-demand context that is already changing the way local government is organised.

We need more of both if public services are to be saved from a slow and steady slide toward marginalisation, under-funding and irrelevance. On this, many of us will begrudgingly agree. 

Doing something about it and - crucially - making it sustainable - is more difficult.  Innovation and collaboration are rife across our localities, with difficult times giving stimulus for a huge amount of creative thinking and novel partnerships.