The identification of and engagement with individuals and organizations that have a stake in the issue the collaboration wishes to address to assess their suitability for and interest in joining the collaboration.
WHY IT MATTERS: Carefully considering and selecting partners is crucial to ensuring that the collaboration is aware of related networks and efforts, is not overlooking important partners, builds an effective partnering culture, and has the influence and resources to meet its goals.
Building a comprehensive understanding of potential partners.
Selecting partners is a pivotal moment in the life of a collaboration. Leaders are best equipped to select partners for their collaboration when they have a comprehensive understanding of the individuals and organizations — working in isolation or together — that are addressing issues related to the problem the collaboration itself will address. If leaders overlook key organizations, they may find it difficult to achieve impact at the desired scale or encounter resistance to their efforts because of a lack of support or buy-in from key stakeholders. A comprehensive stakeholder mapping exercise, in which partners seek to identify all parties potentially interested in or affected by their work, can help collaboration leaders avoid this potential pitfall. Network maps are another valuable tool, guiding partners to identify the financial and non-financial influence of potential partners, as well as the strength of relationships between actors, organizations, and institutions within a network. Once leaders have completed a mapping exercise, they may wish to assess whether potential partners are a good fit for the collaboration’s goals, needs, and culture. Lastly, collaboration leaders may arrange for exploratory conversations with potential partners to gauge interest in collaborating across sectors and to convey the benefits of sharing ownership of a solution to a complex problem.
“Retrofitting Homes for Energy Efficiency in Portland”
An estimated 40 percent of carbon dioxide pollution in the United States comes from energy used in homes. In Portland, Oregon, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability wanted to provide homeowners an affordable opportunity to retrofit their homes with energy efficient upgrades, while also addressing issues of employment equity among residents and minority-owned businesses. Government, business, and non-profit partners came together to create Clean Energy Works Portland (CEWP), an innovative pilot program designed to provide energy upgrades to 500 Portland homes and cut energy consumption by 10 to 30 percent using an innovative financing model to eliminate steep upfront costs. In 2009, the City of Portland convened nearly 50 diverse stakeholders over a series of meetings to collaboratively draft a proposal for the CEWP financing structure, which Mayor Sam Adams ultimately presented to the City Council. The meetings included a cross section of individuals from a myriad of organizations and businesses that had a stake in the program’s proposed outcomes: private utility companies, the energy sector, workers’ unions, minority-focused apprenticeship programs, associations of minority contractors, and policy program designers. Facilitated by a mediator, stakeholders also developed a Community Workforce Agreement, which now serves as the City’s equity template that promotes better hiring standards to support marginalized communities. A first in the nation and a model for private-sector funded energy upgrades, the CEWP pilot facilitated 584 loans for whole home energy retrofits, resulting in a 20 percent or greater reduction of energy consumption in homes. Employment equity commitments provided employment for more than 400 workers, with their average wages surpassing $20/hour. Half of the hours worked were by minorities, while more than 20 percent of participating construction firms were operated by minority business owners.
“The Partnering Toolbook” from The Partnering Initiative
Especially see the following sections for engaging, straightforward guidance on choosing and enlisting partners: Tool 1: Partner Assessment Form on p. 41 for a guide to assessing whether potential partners are a good fit with the collaboration’s goals, needs, and culture; Tool 2: Stakeholder Mapping on p. 43 for guidance on identifying organizations and individuals that have an interest in the issue the collaboration wishes to address and/or may be able to play a role in the collaboration; Tool 3: Sample Partnering Agreement for a template collaborations may use to formalize their decision to work together toward a common aim; and the Building Partnerships discussion on pp. 11-12, which provides helpful context for all tools. “The Partnering Toolbook” is a comprehensive guide to partnering across sectors.
“System Mapping: A Guide to Developing Actor Maps” from FSG
This highly detailed, 17-page resource is well suited for practitioners looking for in-depth guidance on creating an actor map — a resource that provides a picture of the network of individuals and organizations that have a role or a stake in some system or issue. We suggest that partners use their actor map to identify individuals and organizations that have a stake in the issue the collaboration wishes to address, to understand their relationships to each other, and, ultimately, to reach out to potential partners.
“The Partnership Toolkit” from Collaboration Roundtable
Especially see pp. 26-29 of Tool 7: Outreach and Identifying Potential Partners and Tool 8: A Partnership Rating Tool on pp. 30-35. These invitingly written resources provide detailed guidance, with accompanying activities, on identifying and evaluating potential partners. “The Partnership Toolkit” is a comprehensive guide to assist organizations in building and sustaining partnerships.
The identification of and engagement with individuals and organizations that have a stake in the issue the collaboration wishes to address to assess their suitability for and interest in joining the collaboration.
WHY IT MATTERS: Carefully considering and selecting partners is crucial to ensuring that the collaboration is aware of related networks and efforts, is not overlooking important partners, builds an effective partnering culture, and has the influence and resources to meet its goals.
Building a comprehensive understanding of potential partners.
Selecting partners is a pivotal moment in the life of a collaboration. Leaders are best equipped to select partners for their collaboration when they have a comprehensive understanding of the individuals and organizations — working in isolation or together — that are addressing issues related to the problem the collaboration itself will address. If leaders overlook key organizations, they may find it difficult to achieve impact at the desired scale or encounter resistance to their efforts because of a lack of support or buy-in from key stakeholders. A comprehensive stakeholder mapping exercise, in which partners seek to identify all parties potentially interested in or affected by their work, can help collaboration leaders avoid this potential pitfall. Network maps are another valuable tool, guiding partners to identify the financial and non-financial influence of potential partners, as well as the strength of relationships between actors, organizations, and institutions within a network. Once leaders have completed a mapping exercise, they may wish to assess whether potential partners are a good fit for the collaboration’s goals, needs, and culture. Lastly, collaboration leaders may arrange for exploratory conversations with potential partners to gauge interest in collaborating across sectors and to convey the benefits of sharing ownership of a solution to a complex problem.
“Retrofitting Homes for Energy Efficiency in Portland”
An estimated 40 percent of carbon dioxide pollution in the United States comes from energy used in homes. In Portland, Oregon, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability wanted to provide homeowners an affordable opportunity to retrofit their homes with energy efficient upgrades, while also addressing issues of employment equity among residents and minority-owned businesses. Government, business, and non-profit partners came together to create Clean Energy Works Portland (CEWP), an innovative pilot program designed to provide energy upgrades to 500 Portland homes and cut energy consumption by 10 to 30 percent using an innovative financing model to eliminate steep upfront costs. In 2009, the City of Portland convened nearly 50 diverse stakeholders over a series of meetings to collaboratively draft a proposal for the CEWP financing structure, which Mayor Sam Adams ultimately presented to the City Council. The meetings included a cross section of individuals from a myriad of organizations and businesses that had a stake in the program’s proposed outcomes: private utility companies, the energy sector, workers’ unions, minority-focused apprenticeship programs, associations of minority contractors, and policy program designers. Facilitated by a mediator, stakeholders also developed a Community Workforce Agreement, which now serves as the City’s equity template that promotes better hiring standards to support marginalized communities. A first in the nation and a model for private-sector funded energy upgrades, the CEWP pilot facilitated 584 loans for whole home energy retrofits, resulting in a 20 percent or greater reduction of energy consumption in homes. Employment equity commitments provided employment for more than 400 workers, with their average wages surpassing $20/hour. Half of the hours worked were by minorities, while more than 20 percent of participating construction firms were operated by minority business owners.
“The Partnering Toolbook” from The Partnering Initiative
Especially see the following sections for engaging, straightforward guidance on choosing and enlisting partners: Tool 1: Partner Assessment Form on p. 41 for a guide to assessing whether potential partners are a good fit with the collaboration’s goals, needs, and culture; Tool 2: Stakeholder Mapping on p. 43 for guidance on identifying organizations and individuals that have an interest in the issue the collaboration wishes to address and/or may be able to play a role in the collaboration; Tool 3: Sample Partnering Agreement for a template collaborations may use to formalize their decision to work together toward a common aim; and the Building Partnerships discussion on pp. 11-12, which provides helpful context for all tools. “The Partnering Toolbook” is a comprehensive guide to partnering across sectors.
“System Mapping: A Guide to Developing Actor Maps” from FSG
This highly detailed, 17-page resource is well suited for practitioners looking for in-depth guidance on creating an actor map — a resource that provides a picture of the network of individuals and organizations that have a role or a stake in some system or issue. We suggest that partners use their actor map to identify individuals and organizations that have a stake in the issue the collaboration wishes to address, to understand their relationships to each other, and, ultimately, to reach out to potential partners.
“The Partnership Toolkit” from Collaboration Roundtable
Especially see pp. 26-29 of Tool 7: Outreach and Identifying Potential Partners and Tool 8: A Partnership Rating Tool on pp. 30-35. These invitingly written resources provide detailed guidance, with accompanying activities, on identifying and evaluating potential partners. “The Partnership Toolkit” is a comprehensive guide to assist organizations in building and sustaining partnerships.