Applying in partnership
Research into partnership working has shown that there are certain criteria that lead to successful partnership outcomes. These criteria could be applied to all prospective partnerships but the evidence we require will depend on the scale and scope of the partnership.
To be considered as a partnership we expect to see evidence of
- a shared vision, purpose and goal(s)
- mutual benefits
- parity in decision making for all partners
- shared resources
- shared risk
- added value
- roles and responsibilities
For some partnerships their vision, purpose and goal will be part of their business plan and the benefits, resources, risks and roles may be formalised in a written partnership agreement. For smaller or less formal partnerships the vision, purpose and goal should be explicit in the minutes of the partnership’s first meeting, with a record of agreed roles and responsibilities, shared resources and risk. It’s important to have a written record in order to check back to the partnership's original objectives in order to monitor progress effectively.
Parity in decision making for all partners means that all partners have an equal voice regardless of the resources they can contribute to the partnership. If there is a lead partner, it is part of their role to aim for this parity and this should be evident from the minutes of meetings.
Information on how to work effectively in partnership, and a handy 'partnership self-assessment tool' can be downloaded from the menu to the right of this page.