WORKSHOP 10 October 2011

David F. Murphy

Stuart Reid

The Partnering Initiative www.ThePartneringInitiative.org

Purpose of the workshop

• Present and discuss provisional findings and draft deliverables

• Facilitate a discussion around how various parts of UNESCO could work together to implement and integrate partnering practices

• Gather additional information to help shape the final version of the project deliverables

Structure of today’s workshop

11.00 Introduction

11.10 Presentation of key elements from draft deliverables

11.30 Open Q & A on the work to date

11.45 Short break

12.00 Group Discussion: questions which are critical and where we are seeking more input from you

12.30 Feedback and discussion from groups

12.50 Outline of next steps in data collection and analysis

13.00 Close

Inception Report

“Approaches to building and managing partnerships: contributing to a UNESCO partnership strategy”

Draft Policy Framework For Strategic Partnerships (187 EX/17 Part IV)

Provides

• General co-operation principles (para III)

• Specific criteria for engagement (IV, 8)

• Checks & assessments (IV, 9)

• Possible forms of co-operation (V, 11 & 12)

An “umbrella statement” of rules for engagement with external partners

Independent External Evaluation

Such a (partnership) strategy should aim to support:• Civil society and other partners contributing to defining UNESCO’s

goals rather than being regarded solely as vehicles for programme delivery;

• Making UNESCO more accessible and less bureaucratic, especially important for NGOs

• Renewing networks (e.g. between institutes, programmes, universities and centres of excellence) that can improve UNESCO’s links with scientists, researchers and communities of practice

• A linked strategy for the “private sector” that recognises and accommodates the diversity of companies, foundations, innovative financing vehicles and public-private partnerships

Independent External Evaluation

“Partnerships evolve over time and require appropriate structures and processes. Flexible procedures, creating opportunities for ongoing dialogue and partnership ‘styles of working’ would also facilitate partnership formation and strengthening.”

Not reinventing the wheel………

• a lot has been done already – umbrella statement; PS review; agreement templates; etc.

• don’t want more procedures, you do want practical approaches

BUT• there have been missed opportunities• strategic re-orientation is critical for UNESCO • need to confront the challenge of building a

‘partnership culture’

Partnering not partnership

Focus on the process rather than the structure:

How you present who you are

How you recognise partnering opportunities

How you work with your partners

How you learn from experience

Our deliverables

• Good practice guidelines for dealing with external partners

• Guidance on the identification and development of effective partnerships and partners

• Tools for building and managing partnerships in each main partner category

• Key lessons learned from previous and ongoing partnerships

• Benchmarking of partnership approaches against comparable UN agencies.

Progress to date

• Review of key UNESCO documentation• 19 interviews, 27 staff• Online survey launched for all field offices • 7 ongoing case studies of selected partnerships• Comparative review of partnership practice in 4

major UN agencies

D 1: Good practice guidelines

• Purpose is to focus attention on UNESCO’s ability to partner effectively

• Each Guideline has specific recommended Actions that follow from it

• Cross-cut the material being developed in survey, case studies etc

Guideline 1: Achieve clarity of terminology

• UNESCO uses a clear working definition of partnership, which is accepted and employed across the organisation

• UNESCO uses a typology of partnerships,

classifying the main types of partnership in which UNESCO engages

Partnership and collaboration

All partnerships are forms of collaboration but not all collaborations are partnerships (and this is absolutely appropriate).

Actions

1. Create a single, concise and clear statement of partnership for UNESCO to use in all documentation and online media

1. Building on the distinctions identified in the Draft Policy Framework (V, 11), create a typology of different kinds of partnership based on the purpose and function of the partnership

1. Provide internal guidance documents and orientation programmes to familiarise staff with new partnership terminology

Guideline 2: Recognise Value

• UNESCO recognises and clearly communicates the value for partners of working with UNESCO

• UNESCO recognises and clearly communicates the value of working in partnership with each main category of partner

Actions

1. Write a clear statement of how partnership fits into the achievement of UNESCO’s overall mandate

2. Write a statement of the value that UNESCO brings to any partnership

3. Write a rationale for the way that UNESCO selects and works with partners i.e. its ‘reasons to partner’ for each main category – and the value that partner might bring

4. Encourage staff to make explicit recognition of the value brought to any programme by both external and internal stakeholders

Guideline 3: Decentralise decision-making

• The balance of responsibility between HQ and the field is re-designed to encourage innovation in partnership

• The role of Field Offices, Category 1 Institutes and National Commissions in UNESCO partnerships is re-thought to support this process of decentralisation

• The Approval and Engagement Process for partnership is simplified and streamlined without compromising reputational safeguards

Actions:

1. Explore the potential for decentralising some degree of the partnership engagement and approval process to regional or country offices

1. Consult with National Commissions to consider how they might better support UNESCO (centrally) in identifying strategically advantageous partnerships

1. Consider including a ‘pre-partnership’ stage to acknowledge potential for collaboration before proposals are formally processed

Guideline 4: Build a partnership culture

• UNESCO is committed to building a culture within the organisation which will generate and support internal cooperation and external partnership

• UNESCO and its partners integrate learning into their partnerships so that partner organisations both learn from each other, and generate learning that can be shared in their respective organisations

Actions

1. Incorporate monitoring and review of the partnership itself rather than of just the programme outcomes.

1. Integrate the development of partnering skills into staff development and appraisal programmes

1. Encourage peer-peer learning opportunities in partnering practices between different parts of UNESCO

Reflections and Feedback

Group Discusssion

1. How can we re-structure UNESCO’s partnership decision-making & approvals without increasing reputational risk?

– How might the different parts of UNESCO be mobilised to support this process? Approaches, roles, responsibilities, etc.

2. What are some of the best opportunities for UNESCO to develop more ambitious partnerships?

– Which issues & partners offer the best prospects?

The relationship spectrum

PARTNERSHIP RELATIONSHIP

TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIP

Partnership relationship

Transactional relationship

Could be solved by one actor with enough resources

Intrinsically multi-stakeholder issue

The relationship spectrum

Next Steps

• Integrate feedback from this workshop and from consultation with IOS

• Complete partnership case studies• Collect data from online field survey• Complete comparisons with UN agencies

• Analyse and organise data• Produce first draft of final outputs 21 October