Creating and Maintaining Effective Partnerships

Deborah Morrison Community Partnership Enhancement

Facilitator

Alberta Capital Region

Workshop Outline•Defining “Partnership”

•Identifying the Purpose of the Partnership

•Planning Together

•Implementation of the Project/Strategy

•Ongoing Evaluation

“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

Kinds/Degrees of Partnerships

•CommunicationTwo or more groups/agencies share information about their services, trends and mandates.

•CooperationTwo or more groups/agencies with common interests share expertise and resources to achieve joint goals.

•CoordinationTwo or more groups/agencies coordinate their resources and activities to reduce duplication, maximize their resources and achieve more effective results.

•CollaborationTwo or more groups/agencies develop a shared vision and are equally responsible for all aspects of planning, program implementation and evaluation.

Reflection

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

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

•FlexibilityEnhancing Community Capacity to Engage and Involve Immigrant and Refugee Families. A model for Collaboration; Charlene Ball 2008

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Sample Partnership AgreementBraemar 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

Reflection

Shared Vision

Shared Mission

Program Name

Statement of Need

Strategy

Rationale

Goals Inputs Activities OutputsExpectedOutcomes

Indicators ofSuccess Measurement Tools

Program Logic Model

Agency Vision

Logic Model Definitions 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 SuccessConcrete things you can see or hear, which provide evidence that you are achieving your outcomes – often referred to as performance measures

Measurement ToolsMeans by which you collect information to measure your success

Implementation of the Project/Strategy

•regular meetings

•review progress of program and partnership

•identify issues, potential challenges, successes

•resolve issues, challenges, celebrate successes

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

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

Outcome Evaluation ConsiderationsBenefits 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

Partnership Assessment

This assessment tool has been designed to measure the success of the Community Partnership Enhancement work we are undertaking. All committee members will be asked to complete this assessment annually so we can track improvement. This first assessment will be used to provide a base line from which to assess change.

Name ____________ Organization ______________________ Date: _______________________________

Please assess yourself on the following items by indicating 1 – 10, 1 being poor and 10 being excellent

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Don’t know

Knowledge of human services available to children, youth and families in our region/community

Communication with other service providers within our region/community

Cooperation with other service providers within our region/community

Collaborative approach to service delivery within our region/community

Planned approach to service delivery with other service providers Ability to rely on other service providers to follow though

Please explain what you believe to be the most valuable aspect of meeting regularly with other service providers in your community. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for participating in the evaluation of the Community Partnership Committees’ work.

Community Partnership Committee/Initiative Outcome Evaluation

Process Evaluation Considerations

•pooling of resources

•changes in communication strategies

•power differentials

•leadership

•conflict management

•external factors that influence the partnership

Partnership Challenges•funder requirements

•ethical dilemma

•“cost of partnering”

•sustaining commitment at every level of the organization

•power inequity

•conflict is tough

•staff turnover

Benefits of Partnering

•resources go further

•less duplication

•children, youth and families get services they need through a coordinated and integrated community based approach

Reflection

Deborah Morrison

Regional Facilitator, Community Partnership Enhancement

Edmonton Evergreen FCSS,Region 6 CRSA

(780) 474-9393cpef.deb@telus.net