PARTNERSHIP: NOUN: A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterised by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal. What could possibly go wrong?

Dream and aspirations 2012 – VCE & CEC H&SC discover they are working on the same cunning plan - a whole new way of engaging volunteers flexibly. Wouldn’t it be great if we did it together? Pool our resources, skills and expertise and really do something radical. A revolutionary idea deserves a revolutionary partnership – a real partnership, towards common goal. Equal partners. But it’s our money.

We enjoyed… A real genuine desire to achieve the same goal. The successes that the project delivered in its pilot period. A huge amount of valuable learning gained – during the pilot enabling refinement of the product on an on going basis. The experience of the service users and the volunteers was very positive – some great feedback, case studies gathered during evaluation. It is still going… it is a genuinely valuable and scalable project.

We did not enjoy Cultural differences: Super Tanker vs speed boat. Complete avoidance of project planning yet meetings about meetings about meetings. Business sense? Hierarchy. “It’s the wrong time”

Protect and Survive Regardless of what you might think or regardless of any facts or evidence it is important to remember that we are the council and we know best.