Introduction
The
vision
Day-to-day
practice
Forming
partnerships
Resources
Introduction
This tip sheet provides
reflections, references and resources about partnerships. We hope
that it suggests something new to people who are already working
together and encourages others to think of ways to form and maintain
partnerships.
Working together toward a common goal-through
partnership-is at the core of health promotion efforts. Organizations
and communities work with the complex factors that determine health.
Health promotion coalitions, joint projects and resource-sharing
have emerged when there is a concern common to many parts of a
community. Researchers and health promotion practitioners collaborate
to explore health issues. Coalitions of service agencies, voluntary
organizations, businesses and schools are finding different ways
to reduce health risks in many communities. In such situations,
there is an interdependence of elements, along with increasing
complexity, that requires less competition and more cooperation.
Partnerships are not new! But the conditions
for working together continue to change. Sometimes we do not have
a choice about whether or not to partner because policy and funding
guidelines expect partnerships. And we are stretching beyond so-called
traditional collaborations with like-minded organizations to form
new and radical partnerships, perhaps going beyond our usual jurisdictions.
Partnerships are both a vision and a day-to-day
practice. Let's look at the promises and the realities of partnerships.
The Vision
Partnerships hold the promise that:
We
can strengthen our impact: Greater numbers can make greater change.
We will
accomplish together the things that no one entity could achieve
by itself.
More
perspectives and ideas will widen our view of the problem with
opportunities for new and creative action.
Together
we will have access to a broad base of information.
We will
have varied knowledge, experience and skills thus bringing more
resources to the problem.
There
will be energy and synergy: "The whole is greater than the
sum of its parts."
Day-to-Day Practice
The expectations of the vision for partnerships
are accompanied by tensions, challenges and day-to-day realities
such as:
We
may accomplish a greater impact together, but the work takes longer
and can be more complex.
Partnerships
share the strengths of each partner for mutual benefit, but they
also bear risks and responsibilities.
Although
concerns in a community are interconnected, each entity has its
own "take" on the problem, with its own set of assumptions
and values.
It can
be difficult to nurture partnerships in times of rapid change.
Conflict
is probably inevitable. Partnerships bring together different
organizational styles and experience.
Forming partnerships
There is no single
way of forging a partnership. Each partnership is unique. The
work is about evolving systems rather than separate programs or
individual parts. As we move to interconnected arrangements of
working, there are guideposts to help. The following pointers
reflect themes that repeat themselves-in the resources and references
contained here, in our own experiences and in the lessons of various
community partnerships.
People Be aware that organizations do not form
partnerships-people do. The work of partnerships is the building
of relationships, and that work is ongoing. There are intangibles
in this work, for example, the "chemistry" among the
partners-something that sparks interaction and results in change.
It makes a difference if everyone feels committed to the work
of partnership, though the degree of commitment will be different
for each partner. The partners themselves remain distinct while
the partnership emerges as a new form of its own.
Vision Pay attention to creating a shared vision
and a common goal. Vision is something more than what gets posted
on paper. It develops as partners identify mutual needs that cannot
be met alone. Spend the time to explore differences and search
for a vision beyond one perspective.
Trust Explore the common ground for awhile.
It helps to have a history of trust among some of the partners,
while recognizing that a history of working together among some
partners may make newer partners feel excluded. Diverse experiences
and perspectives also bring differences of opinion and fears of
losing autonomy and control. Build expectations rather than rules.
Trust is built through mutual respect for each partner's experience,
knowledge and contributions. Ask how the interests of each partner
fit into the larger goal.
Time Get to know each other. Planning and implementation
take a long time and may compete with the need for speed and action.
Learning Together Take the time to learn together.
Partners need to think and behave differently as they combine
efforts. Despite mutual goals, the work of partnering highlights
differences. Partners' experiences inform their approach to partnerships.
Look at your own organization and its internal capacity to work
in teams or to collaborate among departments or units. Partnerships
transform the ways in which we think and work together.
Decision-Making Decide how the partners will
work together. What decision-making processes will be used? Agree
upon a problem-resolution process. No partner dominates or controls.
There may be a lead organization, but no one partner should have
more influence even if it can contribute more than others. Agreements
may be voluntary, formal or contractual, but they require negotiation
and an investment of people, time and material resources.
Leadership Explore the options for leadership
and participation. Different roles may emerge. Shared leadership
can renew energy. Leadership through partnership requires shared
ownership, while maintaining focus and assessing progress and
direction.
Technology Look for ways in which electronic
communication can enhance and support the work of the partners.
Technical network linkages will facilitate connections and opportunities
for innovation. It will be important to understand the appropriate
application of available technology and to take time to know about
the systems that each partner already uses. Consider ways of creating
joint systems to support collaboration across time and space.
Flexibility Be prepared to adapt. Though we
sometimes feel stretched, individual and collective flexibility
help deal with uncertainty. As circumstances change, partners
and their organizations may not be able to remain involved. Partners
need to be able to adjust accordingly.
The above elements of partnership building are
interdependent. Paying attention to them helps to shape the partnership.
The overall work of the partnership strengthens the ability to
move on an issue. The work together takes thought, practice, discussion
and planning with ongoing clarification. The following resources
will assist your efforts.
Resources
Building and Mobilizing Partnerships for Health:
a National Strategy. Pamela R. Thompson and Sylvie Stachenko.
Health Promotion International, 1994 (9): 3, 211-215.
Increasingly, health professionals are called upon to integrate
prevention and health promotion into their day-to-day practice.
Working in partnership with a variety of disciplines and sectors
is also an emerging reality in the health field. This paper describes
a national collaborative strategy development process, "Enhancing
Preventive Practices of Health Professionals," which involved
Health and Welfare Canada and eight national health professional
associations working in partnership.
Available from libraries. This journal's online archives are for
published material from 1996 forward.
Building Community for Health: Lessons from a Seven-Year-Old Neighbourhood/
University Partnership. Louise H. Flick, Cordie Given Reese, Gail
Rogers, Pamela Fletcher & Joyce Sonn. Health Education Quarterly,
Fall 1994, (21): 3, 369-380.
Two case studies highlight the role of community conflict in the
process of community empowerment. A graduate program for community
health nurses (CHNs) in a large American city formed a partnership
with a diverse, integrated neighbourhood to enhance the community's
capacity to improve its own health and to teach CHNs community
organizing as a means to improve health. Central to the partnership
is a broad definition of health, trust developed through long-term
involvement, a commitment to reciprocity and social justice, and
the application of Freire's model of adult learning.
Available at http://www.ryerson.ca/ORS/find_funding/partnerships/collaboration.doc.
Collaboration Framework-Addressing Community Capacity. The National
Network for Collaboration, 1995.
The National Network for Collaboration is one of five networks
funded by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES), USDA to marshal faculty and program resources
to respond to the economic, social and human stresses faced by
children, youth and families. The Framework provides a concise
model for developing collaborative relationships with guidance
for setting outcomes that can be evaluated. It also helps partners
develop an awareness of both the process factors and the contextual
factors that can affect the working and achievements of a partnership.
Available at http://www.cyfernet.org/nnco/framework.html
Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the
Journey. Michael Winer & Karen Ray, 1997. ISBN 0-90069-03-2.
This handbook is a step-by-step guide to developing a collaborative
effort. Part 1 provides a story to describe the stages and challenges
ahead. Part 2 explores factors that make or break collaboration:
ideology, leadership, power, history, competition and resources.
Part 3 is devoted to exploring the stages of collaboration.
Available from Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Publishing Center,
919 Lafond Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104. Tel: 1-800-274-6024, Fax:
(612) 642-2061. http://www.wilder.org/pubs/collab_hndbk/collab_hndbk
Price: $31.50 US.
Collaboration: What Makes It Work-A Review of Research Literature
on Factors Influencing Successful Collaboration. Paul Mattessich,
Marta Murray-Close & Barbara Monsey, 2001 (2nd edition). ISBN
0-940069-32-6.
This 53-page report reviews and summarizes existing research literature
on factors that influence the success of collaboration. The researchers
identify and thoroughly describe 19 factors that influence the
success of collaborations formed by human service, government
and other non-profit agencies.
Available from Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Publishing Center,
919 Lafond Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104. Tel: 1-800-274-6024, Fax:
(612) 642-2061. http://www.wilder.org/pubs/collab_wmiw/
Price $20.00 US.
Creating Coordination Among Organizations-An Orientation and Planning
Guide. Charles L. Mulford & Gerald E. Klonglan, 1982.
This article emphasizes many options available for coordination.
Linkages such as joint planning and purchase of services are discussed
with examples. Results are tied together in an applied model to
create coordination. Practice sheets are included.
Available from University of Science and Technology, Sociology
Department, 107 East Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1070. Tel: (515) 294-6480
Fax: (515) 294-2303. http://www.soc.iastate.edu/contact.html
Dance Lessons: Six Steps to Great Partnerships in Business and
Life. Chip R. Bell & Heather Shea, 1998.
Using the metaphor of learning to dance with another, these authors
offer tools, activities and resources to build partnerships by
exploring the "heart and soul" of partnerships. As such,
this book is a guide to the interpersonal side of partnership.
They define partnership as "a deliberate blending of capacities
for the continuous mutual benefit of involved parties." The
authors review the steps of the dance of partnership with attention
to planning and practice.
Available from Berrett-Koehler Publishers 235 Montgomery Street,
Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104. Tel: (415) 288-0260, Fax:
(415) 362-2512, E-mail: bkpub@bkpub.com
Price: $39.95
Intersectoral Action…Toward Population Health. Report of
the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on Population
Health, 1999.
This 27-page discussion paper was prepared for the Federal/Provincial/Territorial
Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health in 1999. Its purpose
is to stimulate thinking, discussion and action among health policy
makers and program planners, developers and managers. They use
the term "intersectoral action for health" to emphasize
that social responsibility for improving health requires a focus
on the broad determinants of health, not just on health care services.
Although it is not a detailed guide for designing and implementing
intersectoral action, it does describe eight conditions for successful
intersectoral action, steps for moving ahead and examples of what
intersectoral action can accomplish in health promotion.
Available from the Health Canada web site at http://www.hc-c.gc.ca/hppb/phdd/pdf/inters_eng.pdf
Partnership Perspectives. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health,
Summer 2000 1: (2).
Founded in 1996, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH)
is a non-profit organization that promotes health through partnerships
between communities and higher educational institutions. This
issue of their magazine, Partnership Perspectives, outlines nine
principles for successful partnerships derived from the experiences
of communities and educational institutions from across the United
States.
Available from http://www.futurehealth.ucsf.edu/pdf_files/summer1-f.pdf
Partnerships Between Community Residents and Professionals: Issues
of Power and Social Class Across the Lifespan of Neighbourhood
Organizations. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 1995
14: (1) 61-77.
This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of four
neighbourhood centres jointly created by a sponsoring agency and
community members to prevent problems in the lives of children
and adults. Individual interviews and focus groups with staff,
community members and other agency workers were used to develop
an understanding of issues involved at various stages across the
lifespan of these settings. Two tensions were between community
members and professionals from the sponsoring organization and
between lower-class and middle-class community members. The implications
of these findings for practice in community development and partnerships
are discussed.
Available from http://www.wlu.ca/cjcmh/backiss.htm
Price: $20.00 for institutions, $15.00 for individuals, $10.00
for students. The number of back issues available is limited.
Partnerships for Health. Women's Network PEI.
A number of resources on partnership building have been developed
by the Women's Network PEI (Prince Edward Island).
First Aid Kit.
The "First Aid Kit" is a 54-page, easy-to-read manual
that explores how to build healthy partnerships between individuals,
organizations and government. It contains a step-by-step process
for creating leadership and support structures that foster healthy
partnerships.
Price: $9.95
Helping Each Other.
This 17-page illustrated workbook, written in plain language,
gives several examples of partnerships that can be used with individuals
or groups and includes worksheets for individuals and groups.
Price: $7.95
About Partnerships for Health.
This 39-page book tells the stories of 11 partnerships analysing
what worked and what did not, and offering suggestions for improvement.
Price: $8.95
Available from Women's Network, Box 233, Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island C1A 7K4.Tel: (902) 368-5040, Fax: (902) 368-5039.
http://www.wnpei.org/literacy.html
Partnerships with the Private Sector.
Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto, 1996.
The Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Toronto has
compiled resources to aid community organizations to form partnerships
with private sector organizations. They provide information on
developing various kinds of partnerships, such as private sector
groups joining community coalitions in health promotion initiatives,
companies sponsoring health promotion projects, or businesses
donating money or expertise to community health promotion endeavours.
They also provide resources on partnerships with private foundations
that give grants to community organizations.
Available from Centre for Health Promotion, 100 College Street,
Suite 207, Banting Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L5, Canada.
Tel: (416) 978-1809, Fax: (416) 971-1365. http://www.utoronto.ca/chp/
Permission to copy this resource is granted for educational purposes
only. If you are reproducing in part only, please credit Centre
for Health Promotion, University of Toronto.
The Evolving Strategic Benefits for Business in Collaborations
with Nonprofits in Civil Society: A Strategic Resources, Capabilities
and Competencies Perspective. Steve Waddell, 1999.
Steve Waddell, a senior consultant and researcher for a consulting
firm in Rhode Island, offers a systems analysis of what motivates
the three main sectors of our society: business, government and
non-profit. He brings together two approaches- strategic business
focus and sectoral analysis-to create a strategic framework for
building more comprehensive and productive relationships between
business and civil society. He also explores his ideas through
examples of partnerships between business and civil society around
the world.
Available at http://www.gppi.net/index.php?page=publications on
the web site of The Global Public Policy Project. The Global Public
Policy Project explores the role of global public policy networks
as innovative responses to the governance challenges of today's
constantly changing global environment. The site contains a number
of related articles from international authors and links to a
wide array of web sites of international organizations.
The Partnership Way: New Tools for Living and Learning, Healing
Our Families, Our Communities, and Our World. Riane Eisler &
David Loye, 1990.
The authors offer ideas, information and exercises for imagining
and experiencing new ways of thinking, feeling and acting in various
aspects of our lives. With the principles in this book, the authors
demonstrate how to developing partnerships in diverse settings-
from churches to colleges-that will effect both personal and global
transformation.
Available through bookstores. The publisher, Harper Collins, does
not sell books directly to consumers, but will link you to booksellers
through their web site, http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/order
Price: 34.49
The Web of Life-A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems.
Fritjof Capra, 1996.
Fritjof Capra, a systems theorist, leads readers through an exploration
of nature's self-organizing and self-regulating ecosystems. His
premise is that organizations can learn from the principles of
interdependence in order to develop new avenues for interdisciplinary
thinking and partnerships.
Available from Random House/Anchor Books, 1540 Broadway, New York,
New York 10036.
Tel: (212) 782-9000. http://www.randomhouse.com/anchor/
Price: 21.50
