Foundation of Rock vs. House of Cards: What Leads to Successful Collaborations? Presenters: Nancy Rogers & Dawn Underwood

Principles of Partnership Partners have agreed upon mission, values, goals, and measureable outcomes. Relationship is characterized by mutual trust, respect, genuineness, and commitment. Partnership builds upon identified strengths and assets, but also addresses areas that need improvement. Partnership balances the power among partners and enables resources among partners to be shared.

Principles of Partnership Clear, open and accessible communication between partners. Roles, norms, and processes for the partnership are established with input and agreement of all partners. There is feedback to, among, and from all stakeholders in the partnership. Partners share the credit for the partnership’s accomplishments. Partnerships take time to develop and evolve over time.

Finding the Right Partner The partner organization shares your vision. The partner organization will benefit from the work of the partnership. The opportunity exists to form a multi- dimensional relationship. The partner organization has effective leadership. The work of the partnership aligns with the missions of the partner organizations. The partnership will contribute to student learning or faculty scholarship.

Choose Partners Strategically Consider partnering with Minority Serving Institutions (see handout) Consider partnering with institutions in EPSCoR states (see map) Choose partners based on complementary strengths

Using COS Expertise You can utilize COS Expertise to locate potential collaborators. Keyword searches of biographical sketches can be conducted at

Assessing Risk Size of organization Individual and organizational experience with medium to large-scale projects Accounting systems (are they audited?) Paying invoices by milestones helps mitigate risks

Know Your Partners Partnership goals differ by organization type ◦ Universities conduct basic research ◦ Hospitals conduct applied research ◦ Industry partners desire intellectual property and revenue Knowing the needs of the partner is important to a successful collaboration.

Team Approach The responsibilities of each organization should be established in writing ◦ Include names of key personnel ◦ Include timelines ◦ Include budgetary details for subgrants or consultants

Collaboration Pitfalls Not obtaining administrative approvals (signatures from legally authorized individuals) Attempting to track project costs that are difficult to document (ie: computer usage, board members’ time commitments, etc.) Disagreement on intellectual property, insurance, or state jurisdiction.

Campus Resources for Finding Partners Center for Community Engagement Business Engagement Center Office of Sponsored Programs International Programs and Services