|
Partnership: the issues
It's
true to say that........
Most people now recognise that many of today's big challenges
can only be dealt with by organisations working together. This
happens in business, in the public sector and within and between
voluntary and community organisations.
In
the public services solving many of the problems in society
are so complex they can only be addressed through partnerships.
In
the voluntary and community sector (Third Sector), organisations
working deep in communities have always recognised the importance
of cross-organisational working.
For
business, partnerships between companies really can make
a difference. When businesses are as lean, fit, streamlined
and productive as they can be, the next step change in performance
needs something different.
This is often provided through working with other companies
in well structured partnerships of some kind so as to move up
another productivity gear.
Here’s
a few examples of how organisations are coming together:
- Local
Strategic Partnerships that bring together the main strategic
service delivery organsations under a Local Area Agreement
to address local community and neighbourhood needs within
a Sustainable Community Strategy
- Liaisons
between producers of information and developers of technology
- Specialists
in economic development, providers of social services
and planning authorities in bringing about area regeneration
- Companies,
police forces, education authorities tackling social exclusion
- Schools,
colleges, businesses, training providers policymakers, voluntary
organisations tackling skills shortages especially in
the light of the Leitch Review of Skills and the developing
economic crisis
- Collaboration
between schools and further education colleges
to deliver Specialised Diplomas for 14-19 year olds
|
But what do we really mean by ”partnership”?
This
is Makesfive’s own definition
A cross-organisational group working together towards commonly
held goals which would be extremely difficult, if not impossible,
to achieve if tackled alone.
In theory.....
Partnership should work. It ought to bring together
all the right agencies, people, resources and capabilities to
make a real impact. It is supposed to create synergy:
two plus two should make five.
But
in practice......
It doesn't always work out like this. Despite many years talking
about it, partnership working that really makes a difference
is still the exception rather than the rule.
Why?
There's no single answer.
But one factor seems to be that understanding that cross-organisational
working needs to be MORE than simply allocating tasks in
different ways - more than managing agendas differently.
Where partnerships are intended to make a difference to communities
- it's also vital to accept that "the partnership"
IS ALSO the community itself.
Also that partnership
working is a skilled business - and the skills have to be refined
and developed - that doesn't always (often?) happen.
Finallt, building genuine partnerships needs working
at. Developing relationships and understanding
how partnerships work need to be actively tackled.
GO TO our Visitors’
Resource Centre where you'll
find a range of free downloadable tools, prompts and support
materials to get you thinking.
|
|