Responding to the needs of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Montreal and Sherbrooke: Analysis of the influence strategies of actors involved in intersectoral collaborations

This article looks at the influence strategies of actors involved in intersectoral collaborations set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to influence collective decisions. It is part of a participatory research project that sets out to analyze the emergence and implementation of intersectoral initiatives between the community and public services during COVID-19 to better meet the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and non-status migrants in Montreal and Sherbrooke. The data analyzed in this case study were collected from 28 front-line workers and managers in the health sector (8), the community (19) and another public sector (1). The results show that the actors involved in collaborations mobilized two types of strategies—intersectoral and intra-sectoral—to influence collective decisions. On the whole, the strategies developed in times of crisis are more or less the same as those used in non-crisis periods. The difference lies in the mechanisms (context, sources of power) on which they are based. Most of the influence strategies deployed during the pandemic were based on the context of urgency and turbulence in which collaboration took place. This study documents how intersectoral collaborations work in the context of crisis, making an important contribution to the theory and practice of intersectoral collaborations. Points for practitioners In a crisis context, intersectoral collaboration is strengthened by the pooling of resources and the management of organizational interests through compromise. Public managers must promote transparency, institutional openness and dialogue to reconcile collective and organizational interests. These practices foster partner engagement, prevent strategic withdrawals and maximize the impact of joint actions, while preparing actors to work together more effectively in future crises.