Dr. C. Sue Halfhill Asst. Dean, Workforce Education Ms. Deborah Douma Dean, Institutional Effectiveness & Grants PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE

This grant was a ‘game changer’ for us. It’s made all the difference. Michelle Taylor

What is a partnership? Partnerships are about reaching common goals through collaboration and sharing of resources. The amount of resources shared may vary by ability at any given time.

Importance of partners Funding agencies often require them as sign of community involvement and commitment.

Common Partnership Failures Bringing partners in at the end after the grant is written Using partners only as a source of endorsement letters Failing to meet with partners often Unclear, ambiguous partner responsibilities Unclear, ambiguous financial record keeping

Formal Partnerships Contracts – Subcontracts Memorandums of Understanding Financial Relationships – Clarify financial arrangements Audit Requirements – Specify services A formal partnership is a bilateral or multilateral formal collaboration agreement between an applicant and one or more partners…. Partnerships may be between academic institutions, or between one or more academic institutions and one or more non-academic partners. These partners agree and commit to work collaboratively to achieve shared goals for mutual benefit. Partners must provide evidence attesting to the commitment that has been agreed upon.

Informal Letters of Support Letters of Commitment Are they worth the paper they’re printed on??

Encouraged, and often required Don’t wait until you’re writing a grant to form partnerships Develop long term, mutually beneficial relationships Be creative! Partnerships need to be based on tangible support, not fluff Make sure that commitments are made by someone with the authority to do so Partnerships/Collaboration

Only write grants for something that you would try to do whether or not any funds are received.

A TALE OF TWO GRANTS IT Security Health Professions

IT Security Economic Development Partnerships Scholarships Certifications

Why IT Security? Articles in the local newspaper stating IT companies going out of town to hire qualified employees Program graduates not getting jobs

Funding Opportunity U.S. Department of Labor – Community Based Job Training Grant Required partners – K-12 school districts in the service area – University – Regional Workforce Board – Business/Industry

Finding Partners IT Security Initial meeting with Chamber of Commerce to identify “players” in local industry. Also consulted program advisory committee members Partners sought before the grant was written – Too often partners are an afterthought – Possible partners interviewed prior to grant writing to determine their needs

Identified Partner Needs – U.S. Department of Defense directive requiring employees with certifications and education Grant underwrote cost of work force training and certifications – Perkins requirement that students graduate with certifications Grant funded teacher training and certifications Grant underwrote cost of student certifications (especially high school) – Employees re-entering workforce needing certifications Worked with local WIA office – Employers needing training – but still needing employees to be available for work Training provided on site

Grant project provided synergy for other efforts U.S. Department of Labor Wired – $15 million identification of Information Technology as an economic target Florida Great Northwest – $1 million Postsecondary partners Regional university + 5 community colleges Scholarships

Health Professions Grant Case management Social services Child care Scholarships Textbooks/educational equipment

Why HPOG? “We have an opportunity to apply for over $8 million to support students in health professions programs. Could you come to a planning meeting … tomorrow?”

Medical Grant Finding Partners U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Administration of Children & Families HPOG – Health Professionals Opportunity Grant Required partners – State apprenticeship agency – Regional workforce board – Local TANF administrator – State workforce board

The result … Five year, $8.5 million for student support Negotiated Subcontracts – Started with two pages of bullets Gave them to legal and the business office Resulted in 75 page documents – Case management -- ~$350,000/year – Childcare -- ~$450,000/year

HPOG Partner Engagement Beyond the subcontracts and the MOUs … – Community Coordinating Council – Training/Employment Council – Social Services Council

Interact with Partners Throughout the Grant Periodic, regularly scheduled meetings – Quarterly Reports ideal time to assess partnership effectiveness Schedule one on one meetings Work with mantra the partnership should continue beyond this grant and be basis for future grants.

Handling the Money Rules to live by when working with partnerships – Don’t assume – make sure your finance person is trained in grant finances. Mistakes have consequences. – Document everything according to OMB standards. – Coordinate frequently with federal project officer

Partnership Divorces When relationships go bad When is a promise -- not a promise – Letters of support – Letters of commitment – Federal agency budget changes

Assessing Outcomes Define Success

Cultivating Partners Get active in your community – Serve on local boards & committees Get to know your advisory committee members – Value their expertise Support their efforts We “can” not we “need”

Conclusion Partnerships add value to grants Partnerships must bring value to everyone. Partnerships should be part of the equation from day one Partnerships should be formed with the present and the future in mind

Questions??