3. 4. 5. organization. Modification of activities that are more responsive to community's needs may significantly improve people's lives. Cooperation is a relationship where organizations share information and resou.-ces and make adjustments in one's own agenda to accommodate the other organization's agenda. In this type of. relationship, organizations share ownership of the success, rewards as well as p. roblems and hassles that go with working together. Collaboration is the level of organizationa l relationship where organizations help each other enhance their capacities in performing their tasks as well as in the provision of services. At this point, people become partners rather than competitors. Collaboration entails a lot of-work but the potential for change can be great. Coalition or Multi-sector Collaboration is the level of relationship where organizations and citizens form a partners hip. All parties give priority to the good of the community. It requires great investment in terms of effort, time, trust and the will to make a change. The following are general ideas for the mrrs e on how to get started in partnersh ip and collaboration work: 1. It is imperative for the nurse to involve all the stakeholders in the process of forging partnership and collaboration with the community. 2. In working together, the nurse and the community face risks together. It is important therefore, that they need to know and trust eacb other. 3. Determine how each organizat ion views the problem, how it proposes to solve the problem and how it perceives an organizational relationship can help solve the problem _ 4. Organizations should agree on the kind or level of relationshi p that will help best accomplish the group goals considering needs and available resources_ 5. When organizations have agreed on the type of organizational relationship, formulate grnund rules that will become tl:te bases for decision-making. The following are the most importan t points: ADVOCACY Listen to what each has to say. Points of agreeme nt can only be reached if there is an excl1ange of information. Take time to listen to people who voice different opinions or concerns. Keep an open mind. Try to identify points of unity from diverse opinions. Don't force organizations to give up their iden. tities. Remember, organizations work together for a common good. They do· not work together just so they can outdo each other. Advocacy work is one way the nurse can promote active community participation. The nurse helps the people attain optimal degree of independence in decision-making in asserting their rights to a safe and better community. Advocacy work in nursing has gone a long way from one who just acts on be]1alf or intercedes for the client to one who assists parties to understand eacb other so that agreement is reached (Stanhope and Lancaster, 1992). Today, tl1e nurse as an advocate places the client's rights as priority. She is responsible for providing mechani sms for people to participate in activities 237 