The development of an understanding among partners of how the differing expertise, resources, and networks of each partner enable the collaboration to achieve its aims
WHY IT MATTERS: Conveying the benefit of working with other sectors fosters continued participation in the collaboration and commitment to results.
Partners’ unique expertise, resources, and networks.
Partners will possess differing expertise, resources, and networks related to the issue the collaboration aims to address. A business-sector partner, for example, may have access to proprietary information or financial resources not readily available to other partners; a non-profit partner may have singular policy- or community-related expertise; a government partner may have unique authority to exercise means to design or implement the initiative. By facilitating processes through which partners come to clearly understand how the resources of other partners directly influence the collaboration’s capacity to achieve its goals, the collaboration increases the likelihood that partners will value others’ contributions and remain committed to the collaboration. Without this understanding, partners may withdraw from the process when challenges arise, viewing the issue at hand as solvable without the involvement of other sectors.
“Creating a Technical Training Program in New Hampshire”
In 2012, Safran USA and Albany Engineered Composites found themselves in need of a manufacturing site and a sizable workforce to produce a new type of fan blade. In partnership with Great Bay Community College, city officials in Rochester, New Hampshire, proposed that the companies build their manufacturing site in a state industrial park. In turn, they would provide a certified workforce by training Great Bay Community College students through an industry-specific training program. This cross-sector partnership required that each sector have a clear understanding of how their joint participation was necessary to achieve the desired results. Great Bay Community College made it clear to the companies that they needed to play a role in the design and planning of the training curriculum to ensure that the partnership was mutually enriching to its students and the companies. The businesses provided specialized equipment and funding for the construction of Great Bay’s Advanced Technology and Academic Center (ATAC) and were active in discussions about logistics, providing technical expertise to assist in the creation of the curriculum to ensure students were trained in the necessary manufacturing skills. New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) was essential in negotiations both to secure Rochester as the prime location for the center and to ensure continued long-term financial support for training. Additionally, DRED continues to advocate for the needs of the companies to the state government.
“Collaboration Toolkit: How to Build, Fix, and Sustain Productive Partnerships” from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Especially see Tool 11: Let’s String Along on p. 5 of Section 6: Teamwork Strategies. This interactive team- building exercise aims to demonstrate and reinforce the interdependency of partners. Partners complete an activity through which they are prompted to identify points of reliance on others and then reflect on a set of closing questions. “Collaboration Toolkit” is designed to help law enforcement and their partners build effective community policing partnerships but is accessible with minimal adaptation across a wide range of issues.
“The Good Collaboration Toolkit” from The Good Project
Especially see the “Is This Collaboration Feasible” exercise on p. 6, which prompts partners to write brief mock proposals that address a series of questions related to the rationale for collaboration. While this exercise is intended for partners to complete in the early stages of a collaboration, it can easily be adapted to use throughout the course of the collaboration to reinforce the interdependency of sectors and revisit the motivations that initially brought partners together. “The Good Collaboration Toolkit” is a series of activities that guides collaboration partners to consider critical aspects of collaboration, including readiness for partnering, nurturing relationships, reflecting on collaboration results, and more.
The development of an understanding among partners of how the differing expertise, resources, and networks of each partner enable the collaboration to achieve its aims
WHY IT MATTERS: Conveying the benefit of working with other sectors fosters continued participation in the collaboration and commitment to results.
Partners’ unique expertise, resources, and networks.
Partners will possess differing expertise, resources, and networks related to the issue the collaboration aims to address. A business-sector partner, for example, may have access to proprietary information or financial resources not readily available to other partners; a non-profit partner may have singular policy- or community-related expertise; a government partner may have unique authority to exercise means to design or implement the initiative. By facilitating processes through which partners come to clearly understand how the resources of other partners directly influence the collaboration’s capacity to achieve its goals, the collaboration increases the likelihood that partners will value others’ contributions and remain committed to the collaboration. Without this understanding, partners may withdraw from the process when challenges arise, viewing the issue at hand as solvable without the involvement of other sectors.
“Creating a Technical Training Program in New Hampshire”
In 2012, Safran USA and Albany Engineered Composites found themselves in need of a manufacturing site and a sizable workforce to produce a new type of fan blade. In partnership with Great Bay Community College, city officials in Rochester, New Hampshire, proposed that the companies build their manufacturing site in a state industrial park. In turn, they would provide a certified workforce by training Great Bay Community College students through an industry-specific training program. This cross-sector partnership required that each sector have a clear understanding of how their joint participation was necessary to achieve the desired results. Great Bay Community College made it clear to the companies that they needed to play a role in the design and planning of the training curriculum to ensure that the partnership was mutually enriching to its students and the companies. The businesses provided specialized equipment and funding for the construction of Great Bay’s Advanced Technology and Academic Center (ATAC) and were active in discussions about logistics, providing technical expertise to assist in the creation of the curriculum to ensure students were trained in the necessary manufacturing skills. New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) was essential in negotiations both to secure Rochester as the prime location for the center and to ensure continued long-term financial support for training. Additionally, DRED continues to advocate for the needs of the companies to the state government.
“Collaboration Toolkit: How to Build, Fix, and Sustain Productive Partnerships” from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Especially see Tool 11: Let’s String Along on p. 5 of Section 6: Teamwork Strategies. This interactive team- building exercise aims to demonstrate and reinforce the interdependency of partners. Partners complete an activity through which they are prompted to identify points of reliance on others and then reflect on a set of closing questions. “Collaboration Toolkit” is designed to help law enforcement and their partners build effective community policing partnerships but is accessible with minimal adaptation across a wide range of issues.
“The Good Collaboration Toolkit” from The Good Project
Especially see the “Is This Collaboration Feasible” exercise on p. 6, which prompts partners to write brief mock proposals that address a series of questions related to the rationale for collaboration. While this exercise is intended for partners to complete in the early stages of a collaboration, it can easily be adapted to use throughout the course of the collaboration to reinforce the interdependency of sectors and revisit the motivations that initially brought partners together. “The Good Collaboration Toolkit” is a series of activities that guides collaboration partners to consider critical aspects of collaboration, including readiness for partnering, nurturing relationships, reflecting on collaboration results, and more.