Creating and Maintaining Effective Partnerships

1. Creating and Maintaining Effective Partnerships Deborah Morrison Community Partnership Enhancement Facilitator Alberta Capital Region

2. Workshop Outline • Defining “Partnership” • Identifying the Purpose of the Partnership • Planning Together • Implementation of the Project/Strategy • Ongoing Evaluation

3. “Partnership” is defined as: • the relationship between two or more people or organizations that are involved in or share the same activity • cooperation between people or groups working together • an organization formed by two or more people or groups to work together for some purpose

7. Kinds/Degrees of Partnerships • Communication • Two or more groups/agencies share information about their services, trends and mandates. • Cooperation • Two or more groups/agencies with common interests share expertise and resources to achieve joint goals.

8. Coordination • Two or more groups/agencies coordinate their resources and activities to reduce duplication, maximize their resources and achieve more effective results. • Collaboration • Two or more groups/agencies develop a shared vision and are equally responsible for all aspects of planning, program implementation and evaluation.

9. Reflection

12. Most important aspects of all relationships/partnerships: • state your expectations clearly • all types of relationships can be healthy as long as each partner understands what is expected and agrees to meet the expectations • unlike marriage it is permissible to have many different kinds of partnerships on the go at once • it is possible that partnerships can begin one way and grow into another type

13. Characteristics and Essential Features of Partnership/Collaboration • Acknowledgement of power differences and sharing of power • Relationship building • Valuing differences/seeing strength in diversity • The right participants • Reciprocity/mutual benefit • Egalitarian • Equitable • Flexibility • Enhancing Community Capacity to Engage and Involve Immigrant and Refugee Families. A model for Collaboration; Charlene Ball 2008

14. Identifying the Purpose of the Partnership • what is the reason for the partnership? • be assured that this partnership will enhance the mutual goals of the partners • shared vision • common goals • desire to work together • to know this we must review the needs and strengths of each partner as well as the target population

15. Personal attributes of an effective partnership representative • Patience • Unconditional regard for others • Confident of one’s abilities • Comfortable with one’s role as a representative of your organization • Values group process

16. Skills required to be an effective member of a partnership • Good communicator • Ability to motivate others • Planning knowledge and skills • Decision making skills • Knowledge about group process • Conflict resolution skills • Good knowledge of your organization and the population served

17. What employers can do to support partnership work • Identify partnership work as a legitimate part of a job description and provide the time to do it. • Hire people skilled at working in partnership. • Ensure the person you choose to represent the organization has the skills and knowledge to do so. • Clarify the level of decision-making authority the representative has while at the partnership table. • Demonstrate support for the partnership work among the staff team.

18. Planning Together • demonstrates commitment • develop a partnership agreement, logic model, strategic plan or action plan together • include roles, responsibilities, expected outcomes and indicators of success • communication

19. Components of an Effective Partnership Agreement From this list choose the items you agree need to be included in your agreement • Background/Statement of Need • Goals • Shared Principles and Values • Strategy • Rationale • Expected Outcomes • Commitment of each Partner • Including role of banker/host, financial management procedures, legal liability issues, representation • Structure of Partnering Organizations • Decision Making • Communication Plan • Conflict Resolution Plan • Activities • Timeline • Keeping Track of the Progress • Reporting Accomplishments

20. Sample Partnership Agreement Braemar School (EPSB) and Terra Centre • Statement of Need • Strategy • Rationale • Partnership Goals • Commitment of each Partnering Organization • Braemar School, Terra Association and Joint Commitments • Partnership Goals • Structure of Partners • Decision Making • Communication Plan • Conflict Resolution Plan • Keeping Track of the Progress • Reporting Accomplishments

21. Reflection

22. Shared Vision Shared Mission Program Name Statement of Need Strategy Rationale Measurement Tools Expected Outcomes Indicators of Success Goals Inputs Activities Outputs Program Logic Model

23. Logic Model Definitions Agency Vision Desired social condition Agency Mission Your unique role in working towards the desired social condition Statement of Need Problem statement, description of the situation you wish to change Strategy The approach(es) you will use to meet this need/change this problem Rationale An explanation of why you believe this approach will work Goals A general statement of what you are attempting to achieve Inputs Resources dedicated to the program Activities Specific ways/actions you will use to work towards your goals Outputs The direct product of your activities, usually measured by volume of work accomplished Expected Outcomes Statements which describe the difference your intervention will make in the short term, intermediate and long term Indicators of Success Concrete things you can see or hear, which provide evidence that you are achieving your outcomes – often referred to as performance measures Measurement Tools Means by which you collect information to measure your success

24. Implementation of the Project/Strategy • regular meetings • review progress of program and partnership • identify issues, potential challenges, successes • resolve issues, challenges, celebrate successes

25. Ingredients for a Healthy Partnership • know yourself • desire to work together • shared vision and common goals • cooperation • accountability • commitment • leadership • flexibility • shared decision making • constructive means of resolving conflict • low stakeholder turnover

26. Ongoing Evaluation • regular assessment of program success as well as partnership success • demonstrates accountability to one an other • ensure evaluation considers both outcomes and process

27. Outcome Evaluation Considerations • Benefits for partners: • changes in knowledge • changes in behaviour • improved skills • increased access • increased ability to meet needs • Benefits for children, youth and families • improved access • improved knowledge • improved skills • improved behaviour • increased ability to meet needs

28. Community Partnership Committee/Initiative Outcome Evaluation

29. Process Evaluation Considerations • pooling of resources • changes in communication strategies • power differentials • leadership • conflict management • external factors that influence the partnership

30. Partnership Challenges • funder requirements • ethical dilemma • “cost of partnering” • sustaining commitment at every • level of the organization • power inequity • conflict is tough • staff turnover

31. Benefits of Partnering • resources go further • less duplication • children, youth and families • get services they need through a coordinated and integrated community based approach

32. Reflection

34. Deborah Morrison Regional Facilitator, Community Partnership Enhancement Edmonton Evergreen FCSS, Region 6 CRSA (780) 474-9393 cpef.deb@telus.net