Two of the biggest problems facing those new to partnership working are:

How do you get the partnership started?

Having got the partnership started, how do you keep it on track and maintain and enhance its effectiveness?

This article will describe how these problems can be overcome by suggesting:

The ten – step process for effective partnership working is referred to during this article and it may be viewed by clicking on this web link:

A diagrammatic illustration of the meetings described below and their place within an overall process can be viewed by clicking on this web link:

This meeting is for those in the initial stages of considering partnership working as a possible approach. It does not include potential partners. The key questions to ask here are:

What does the partnership need to achieve?

Is partnership working the right way to achieve what is needed?

Who are the potential partners and which ones need to be approached?

For additional guidance concerning the issues to address during this meeting see steps 1 to 4 of the ten – step process.

The key document to support this meeting is the ‘Why Use Partnership Working?’ Form. This provides a systematic approach to the analysis and decision – making needed at this stage.

This meeting takes place after the initial decision to enter into partnership working has been made. It is the first meeting with the potential partners. The key things to do here are:

Explain the process worked through so far and why the potential partners have been approached.

Invite the potential partners to make comments on and become involved in the process so far.

Agree to form/not form a partnership with the potential partners.

Again, for additional guidance concerning the issues to address during this meeting see steps 1 to 4 of the ten – step process.

The key document to support this meeting is the ‘Why Use Partnership Working?’ Form. It clearly outlines the decision – making processes undergone so far and helps the potential partners understand and comment on them.

Here the partners have already agreed to work with one another. The key things to do during this meeting are:

Confirm and agree the purpose of the partnership and what it needs to deliver in order to achieve it.

Undertake stakeholder mapping.

Agree how to manage key stakeholders.

Agree how the partnership will operate – how it will effectively manage its relationships, structures and processes.

For additional guidance concerning the issues to address during this meeting see steps 5 to 8 of the ten – step process.

The key documents to support this meeting are: the Partnership Agreement, to agree what needs to be done by whom and by when; the Partnership Contract, to agree how the partnership will manage its relationships, structures and processes; the Stakeholder Form to identify key stakeholders and agree how to manage them.

These take place on a regular, ongoing basis during the life of the partnership. All partners need to attend. They key questions to ask here are:

How well is the partnership working together?

Is the partnership making the most of its strengths and minimising its weaknesses?

What progress is the partnership making against its Partnership Agreement and Partnership Contract?

For additional guidance concerning the issues to address during these meetings see steps 9 and 10 of the ten – step process.

The key documents to support these meetings are: the Partnership Agreement, to help review progress towards goals; the Partnership Contract, to help review effectiveness of the management of relationships, structures and processes; the Partnership Audit, to identify overall what is/is not working well, what can be improved and how; the Cultures Audit, to ensure cultural differences between partners are valued and that the most is made of each partner’s unique strengths.

This meeting is held near the end of the partnership’s lifespan. Key questions to ask here are:

Now that the partnership is nearing the completion of its work, what does it need to do next? Does it need to Disband? Does it need to restructure or integrate into permanent services/organisations?

How can the learning and experience gained by the partnership be passed on to others that will need it?

Does the partnership need to reinvent itself in order to remain relevant/productive? Does it need to go back to the beginning of the process and find a new purpose?

There are no suggested key documents for this meeting, but all forms previously used will probably need to be referred to when considering the above questions.

To bring the partnership to a close or to end one of its major phases (perhaps before it develops into a new follow – up project with differing objectives), it is good practice to write a Final Partnership Report. This report needs to state:

What the partnership has achieved and how it achieved it.

The key learning and experience gained and how these can be made available to others.

Any recommendations for future action and/or partnership working.

The role of the current partnership in any future projects.

More information about the documentation used and how it fits into the above process can be obtained by contacting Charles M Lines at tallistraining@tiscali.co.uk.