Many collaboratives begin their work without much discussion of the underlying values on which their members agree or disagree. This questionnaire is a neutral way of assessing how much a group shares ideas about the values that underlie its work. It can surface issues that may not be raised if the collaborative begins its work with an emphasis on programs and operational issues, without addressing the important values that inform their work. Learning that a group may have strong disagreements about basic assumptions that affect its community’s needs and resources may help the group clarify later disagreements about less important issues which are really about these more important underlying values.

After reviewing the results from a collaborative group’s scoring of the Inventory, it is important to discuss the areas of common agreement and divergent views. That discussion should work toward a consensus on principles that the collaborative members agree upon as the basis of state or local priorities for implementing practice and policies changes, leading to improved services and outcomes for families.