Maintaining Partnerships
Healthy and strong partnerships provide the foundation of many community intervention and initiative efforts. Once partnerships are formed, the work is not complete. In order to achieve your goals, it is essential to continually maintain and improve your partnerships. Setting aside time and effort to preserve your partnership will allow you and your partners to adapt to changes along the way. In addition, you will be able to keep your partnership on track and continue to work toward achieving your goals. This will result in a more effective and productive partnership that will continue long into the future. |
The following are a few tips for maintaining your partnerships:
- Develop a formal organizational structure when you are ready. The following are some examples of general types of organizations:
- A government-sanctioned organization. Structuring your partnership in this way may increase your group’s credibility in the community and give it legal authority and fiscal status to conduct certain activities.
- A community network or coalition. This form of organizational structure may allow you to more accurately identify community needs and to gain greater community support for your group’s activities. In addition, structuring your group in this way may allow you the flexibility to engage in a variety of activities without being restricted by any one organization’s rules and regulations. Creating a memorandum of understanding that outlines the expectations of each partner and coalition by-laws may provide more formal structure for partner interactions.
- Create local awareness of and support for the partnership.
- Bring in new partners.
- Ensure that all members are participating in partnership activities.
- Encourage shared leadership and decision-making.
- Develop a strong sense of group identity.
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