Partnership Working
Richard Caulfield
Chief Executive
"partnership working is the temporary
suspension of mutual loathing in pursuit of
funding"
Why work in partnership?
• ‘In it together’ & ‘More for less’
• Deliver for beneficiaries
• Mutual benefits
• Can’t do everything
• Shared Values
• Changing geographies
• You are told to!
Types of partnership
• Self Interested Partnerships
– only put in place in pursuit of funding
• Mutual Partnership
– in pursuit of a single relatively narrow agenda that
benefits both parties
• Strategic Partnership
– characterised by a wider and longer term context and
relationship
• Shared Destiny Partnership
– close to a merger situation
The dating game
The Passion Killers…
• Forever and ever
– Doesn’t have to be, have an exit strategy
• Pulling rank
– Needs to be ‘equality’ at the table
• Mission creep
– Be clear on remit at outset
Passion killers…
• ‘only here for the cash’
– Clarity at outset!
• Target – what target?
– Know what you are aiming for!
• Death by drudgery
– Keep meetings focused!
• Strictly a need-to-know basis…
– Communication is vital!
So…
• Start looking for potential partners
– They may not be usual suspects
– Look to private sector as well as VCS/Public Sector
• Push for appropriate changes in
commissioning structures
• See public sector colleagues as part of the
solution
• Work collaboratively within the sector with
mutual trust