[Partnerships] Partnership ownership

[ldeyo]

Dear List Members,

Here are a few recommendations that I received directly in response to my question about ownership & partnership member ?buy-in.?  Are there other things that have worked for your partnership that you would like to share with the list?  Or, that you have found out just doesn?t work at all?  Lisa


#1 MCAE has been doing a lot of organizing on regional bases. Do community partnerships see themselves as logical local points of ABE organizing? Maybe connecting with the new MCAE staff person on this issue would help them to see a clearer role and build "ownership".


#2 Probably the most difficult task community planners have is to keep the
partnership operating over a long period of time, mainly because the "volunteers" who serve on the the Community Planning committees do not always see the value of the partnership to their particular organization.  ABE people also need to see that they have to serve or volunteer for partners program specific boards even when ABE is not on the table.
Subcommittees specific to ABE needs that develop from larger community or regional boards might be easier to maintain than large groups with multiple
interest.  The above is rather general but each partnership is unique and needs to
adapt to the community /programs involved.


#3   first of I recommend that you contact Cathy Gannon at Central SABES. I think she is a rich and wonderful resource for your question. She has
visited many programs and knows about many partnerships in the state. What I am going to say, I learned from her.
a) the partners need to feel that they are getting something out of the partnership, such as clients, services, good publicity, and important
information, in other words, support.  Perhaps an open discussion among the partners about that can elicit a list.

b) the partners need to share responsibility for the activities in the partnership; for example, facilitation of meetings, providing refreshments,
providing a place for meetings, heading a committee, providing printing, etc.  Rotating the facilitation of meetings is a good way to start.


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