Best Practices in Partnerships Gail Zboch, Senior Program Officer Strategic Programs and Joint Initiatives

Context SSHRC has funded research partnerships in the past, both through short-term funding opportunities and through long-term initiatives (CURA, MCRI, etc.) SSHRC has also funded research networks through joint initiatives (CISS RDC, Metropolis, etc.) These partnerships have resulted in fruitful collaboration, rich research findings and sustainable, long-term relationships 11/27/2018

Best Practices in Building Partnerships Communication Governance structures Stakeholder involvement Training opportunities 11/27/2018

Communication Ensure effective communication with all interested parties (e.g., researchers, partners, general public) Ongoing liaison with stakeholders Full-time project co-ordinator or facilitator Works for the partnership project Point of contact for stakeholders Circulates newsletters and email updates Development of common tools for information sharing with stakeholders as well as with greater audiences Websites, web portals, etc. Social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Second Life 11/27/2018

Governance Structures Provide a clear, well-developed governance structure (e.g. steering committee, sub-committees, working groups) Use a decision-making process that incorporates all stakeholders Ensuring the active participation of all stakeholders at the table Ensure conflict resolution mechanisms are in place Managing competing interests and priorities in the partnership Develop performance evaluation frameworks in collaboration with stakeholders Ensuring that the deliverables and activities are carried out according to schedule 11/27/2018

Stakeholder Involvement Ensure the active participation of all stakeholders over the course of the project Define roles and responsibilites for all partners at the start Establish common goals and priorities in consultation with stakeholders Delegate tasks according to capacity and expertise Share resources equitably, and ensure a reasonable “buy-in” on the project from the partners Cash or in-kind contributions, including: Personnel Access to facilities or facilitating interaction with other organizations/communities Knowledge mobilization activities 11/27/2018

Training Opportunities Ensure the meaningful involvement of students Working with partnering organizations Hands-on skills Ensure capacity-building and learning, not only for students, but all involved in the project, by: Integrating partnering organizations into project plans For example, training personnel from partnering organizations to conduct interviews, organize events, present at conferences, etc. Fostering the exchange of knowledge and expertise between all the stakeholders of the project 11/27/2018

Helpful Hints: Developing a Partnership Project Develop plans to ensure the sustainability of the partnership beyond the tenure of the grant Set realistic, attainable goals Validate objectives and plans with the stakeholders even in the development phases Ensure that the project has the necessary stakeholders on board to successfully achieve its goals Number of partners: quality over quantity 11/27/2018

Helpful Hints: Developing a Partnership Project Continue to recruit new partners over the course of the project Identify potential interested partners through networking opportunities, including: External events Contacts in the field Existing projects and partnerships Social networking 11/27/2018

Some Helpful Documents A formalized partnership document such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Letters of engagement that clearly outline the partner’s commitments, both financial and in-kind Tips for partner letters: Avoid “template” letters Ensure that all letters are personalized and demonstrate a knowledge of the project Address the letters to the principal investigator/project director and refer to the project title An assessment or self-assessment mechanism that allows the team to evaluate its activities and the quality of the partnership A common reporting system 11/27/2018

Useful Resources – Examples of projects Cluster: Network for Business Sustainability (Dr. Tima Bansal, University of Western Ontario) http://www.nbs.net/ CURA: Life stories of Montrealers displaced by war, genocide, and other human rights violations, (Dr. Steven High, Canada Research Chair in Public History, Department of History, Concordia University) www.lifestoriesmontreal.ca Knowledge Impact in Society: For the list of all projects funded visit: www.kis.usask.ca/about/projects.html MCRI: The Asia Pacific Dispute Resolution Project (Dr. Pitman Potter, University of British Columbia) www.apdr.iar.ubc.ca/intro.php 11/27/2018

Useful Resources CIROP MEASURE: Measuring community impacts of research-oriented partnerships. www.impactmeasure.org Social Economy Hub: List of resources and guides on community-university partnerships. www.socialeconomyhub.ca/?q=content/community-university-partnerships-research The ARUC-ÉS and RQRP-ÉS: Model and Guide for Knowledge Mobilization in the Context of Research Partnerships. www.aruc-es.uqam.ca/Nospublications/Autresdocuments CU Expo 2011: Canadian-led conference designed to showcase the best community-university partnerships worldwide. www.cuexpo2011.ca 11/27/2018

Thank you / Merci Email: partnershipgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca Tel.: 613-943-1007 11/27/2018