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August, 2003

2. Readiness2. ReadinessBlueprint

Readiness

The probability of success is dependent on many factors… the basic premise is that a university’s preparation or readiness prior to a partnership initiation is the single most important contributor to success.

Maynard Robinson and Stephen Daigle. 1999-2000. Important Lessons From CSU’s Failed Strategic Partnership . Planning for Higher Education. 28(2): 18-31.

State Readiness Criteria

¤ Rosevear’s study of 8 virtual universities

• What is the state’s technological infrastructure?• How prepared are the traditional colleges and

universities to support virtual learning environments?

• Do they all have equal technological capabilities?• What is a reasonable prediction for how long it

will take before the virtual university is operational?

• What are the resources gaps, and how will they be filled?

Inter-Institutional Readiness Criteria

¤ Leadership committed to the effort¤ Commitment to learner centered

education¤ Climate to support partnership and

change¤ Alignment of key decision makers¤ Buy-in by faculty, departments, and

colleges

What is your What is your rationale for rationale for partnering?partnering?

Partnership Rationales¤ Dave King (IHETS):

Our rationale is that we choose partners based on learner needs and risk. The learner’s risk must be low. Technology is never complete until the user is satisfied.

¤ Susan Kannel (NACTEL): Our rationale is that we choose a college or

university partner based on quality online curricula needed by industry.

¤ Bruce Chaloux (SREB): Our rationale is to use partnerships to level the

playing field (policy development) on behalf of student access.www.sreb.org

IHETS

IPSE/ICN ITN

Learning Portal

LLC

Partnerships In Indiana

IndustryMembers

Program Administration

Academic Provider

NACTELNACTEL Stakeholders Stakeholders

Partnering and Deal Making in the Digital Age

George T. Geis & George S. Geiswww.alliancerevolution.com

Organizations face an increasing need to start or join a network of alliances and joint ventures. Virtually no one goes to market alone anymore; it's too costly, too risky and too slow. At the same time, the reasons for forming deals are changing. While some partnerships seek to accomplish age-old objectives, many of today's deals are driven by goals that are very different than before, and often in subtle ways. As a result, firms need new methods and information resources to uncover competitors' motives for partnerships, and to clarify and select their own deal rationales.

Firms need new methods and information resources to uncover competitors' motives for partnerships, and to clarify and select their own deal rationales.

Blueprint for Partnering:A Metric for Determining

Readiness¤ Vision¤ Description¤ Beliefs¤ Assumptions¤ Operations¤ Commitment¤ Collaboration

¤ Risk¤ Control¤ Adaptation¤ Return (value)

on Investment

¤ Vision What is the greater social good?

¤ Description What is it? How will it affect my institution?

¤ Beliefs What are the guiding, foundational principles?

¤ Assumptions What will we achieve together?

¤ Operations How will it work? What are the goals?

¤ Commitment Are multiple levels committed to it?

¤ Collaboration Is collaboration more important than competition?

What structure works What structure works best to implement a best to implement a partnership? …to partnership? …to sustain a partnership?sustain a partnership?

Adaptation¤ How will the partners adapt in order to

accept and operate in a blended environment of values, purposes, missions, and outcomes?

BOLT-ON EMBED SPIN-OFF

3. 3. CommitmentCommitment

Compact

Compact

The outcome of a coordinated planning and accountability process to achieve critical partnership goals… It explains how the partners will work together and remain committed to the effort.

Commitment“An action becomes a commitment…if it restricts a company’s [institution’s] future options in a way that would be costly to reverse.” Sull, 2003, p. 84.

"The Three C's of Transforming Commitments"Donald N. Sull, 2003

"Successful transforming commitments are clear, credible, and courageous."

Clear____ Is your commitment simple?____ Is your commitment concrete?____ Can you measure progress?____ Can you quantify your measure?____ Will you measure progress frequently?____ Is your measurement process credible?____ Have you repeated your commitment often

enough?____ Could employees pass a pop quiz on the details of

the commitment?

Credible … Have you…____ made investments that are hard to reverse?____ burned your bridges behind you?____ put your own reputation at stake?____ put your money where your mouth is?____ assigned your best people to the challenge?

Courageous… Are you…____ breaking from the pack?____ ignoring the 'experts'?____ making a quantum leap?____ refusing to hedge your bets or cover your backside?____ undoing your predecessor's actions?____ doing it as quickly as you can?

Not all partnerships necessarily will be long-term ones, but the commitment to partnering must be long term to counteract the competing forces working to maintain the status quo.

--Ann Hill Duin and Linda L. Baer, 2002, NLII