3.6Innovative collaboration

Description

What does this measure refer to and what is its objective?

This measure refers to innovative collaboration between organisations and agencies by finding new partners and useful possibilities of collaboration.

Recommendations

Best practice and lessons learned

• Collaboration with local businesses and with parent and other community groups:
   Local businesses can assist by educating their employees about the potential hazards and consequences of trespassing on rail tracks and rail rights-of-way, posting educational materials for patrons using their business, securing their property from improper exit onto the railway, and providing resources for problem-solving projects.
   Existing parent and other community groups can provide invaluable assistance in the problem-solving process. Existing groups are already organized and rooted in the community. Some of these groups may include parent teacher associations, neighborhood watch, and resident and community associations. These groups can assist in areas such as communications, education, fundraising, and reporting incidents. Many are formed specifically to address public safety and crime issues within the community, and may be a ready resource to assist in a community trespass prevention project.
• Other potential partners include chambers of commerce, local stores, unions, media, youth, city planners, transportation engineers, manufacturers, survivors and bystanders.

Warning points

Expected difficulties and issues you should pay attention to

• This might depend on the degree of openness and willingness to change in different cultures, or different legal constraints in different countries (e.g. relating to how information is shared; whether power is important to some organisations or agencies; whether there are specific legal requirements that could limit collaboration).
• There may be the potential for better collaboration as the organisations and agencies become familiar with models of joint working. However, any initial benefits from better joint working might lapse if individuals who have been important in promoting the collaborative working move to different jobs, or if initial funding sources cannot be maintained (e.g. financial cutbacks).
• Costs are largely time related, potentially including need for some release from other work activities. Might also include costs of travel for meetings.

Observations

Other points that you should not forget

• The measure is expected to facilitate the implementation of other measures virtually at all levels of the trespassing process: trespassing intent, decision to trespass, decision to enter tracks, entering the tracks, and being in the track area.

Study results

Data or other evidence supporting the measure's effectiveness

• The involvement of businesses in both intentional and unintentional injury prevention efforts has raised awareness of injury prevention issues and has had a significant impact on injury prevention outcomes (Cohen et al., 2003).
• Bystanders can discourage risk taking in a variety of environments, such as at the swimming pool or while driving (Cohen et al., 2003).