How to Build and Sustain Strategic Partnerships

Session Objectives

• Learn to assess collaborative opportunities

• Learn tactics to make strategic partnerships run well

• Understand how strategic partnerships can enhance organizational capacity and lead to better client outcomes

Know what you want

Why build partnerships?

The Collaboration Imperative

Internal and External Forces

Why partnerships matter

Why they especially matter now

So, what makes a good partnership?

Benefits of Partnering• Cost savings• Economies of scale and scope• Extends the reach/benefit of your work• Positive influences• Leverages funding • Learn/develop new skills, knowledge • Increase diversity • Increase synergy

So, how do you build them?

Find the right partners

If you don’t know someone…

If you think you know someone…

• Do your due diligence

• Do it again

• Maybe one more time

The partnership screen: See it through.

Steps to making strategic partnerships work

• Find the right partners• Involve partners from

the start• Share control• Agree on how to make

decisions• MOUs

Give everyone a piece of the pie

Challenges to effective partnering

Online Tools that support partnerships

PBWORKS

Success and Sustainability

Don’t forget to have fun!