Building effective partnerships David Wilcox www.partnerships.org.uk

What we’ll cover… to start How to think about partnership Benefits, opportunities - and barriers How to approach partnerships What works and what doesn’t The process of building partnership

First - what do you think? When we say ‘partnership’ what comes to mind? What does partnership mean in the context of External Systems? What are the benefits - and barriers?

Benefits of partnership Making 1+1 more than 2… sharing ideas and resources Gaining access to skills of others Mutual support and enthusiasm Seeing through other’s eyes Funding available to partnerships Reaching wider audiences

Barriers and challenges Suspicion and lack of trust Fear of losing identity Unacceptable inequalities of power Poor communication Lack of leadership, clear roles Confused style of working The time it takes to build trust and new relationship

Partnerships which aren’t Sherry Arnstein’s ladder of participation 1969 Suggests top of the ladder is best. The key issue - who is in control.

A revised ladder Supporting Substantial participation Acting together Degree of control Deciding together Sometime ‘lower rungs’ may be appropriate. But if you want partnership make sure that is what is offered. Consultation Information

Three views of partnership Paperwork Money Jargon Projects ‘Business’ Trust and Relationships Personalities Constitution People Structure Meetings Agreement Confidence Skills Procedures

Partnership life cycle Initiating: What was the spark? Who’s idea? Why? Starting: get to know each other. Create shared vision. Write agreement. Doing: start projects. Involve others. Support each other. Sustaining - or finishing. Do you need to keep going?

Tips for partnership working Be clear on what you really want. Check how much influence you have. Don’t end up a token representative Look for allies. Be sociable. Use workshops as well as committees. Put yourself in other’s shoes. Organise around tasks, projects. Be honest. Build trust.

Reaching an agreement Who will benefit What are the goals, deliverables What is our shared vision What will each party contribute How will decisions be made How will conflict be dealt with How will surpluses be shared How will we know if we are succeeding

Building a relationship Respect people’s styles and cultures Use different ways to communicate Go away together - away days Do things together - projects Expect to learn from each other Balance competition and collaboration Take time Be positive! Have some fun!