An A to Z of partnerships and networks

Accountability means knowing who is answerable to whom - often difficult in a partnership or network where paid staff have different employers, and activists a range of allegiances. To clarify accountability in practice consider:

• Who can stop someone doing something?

• Whose permission is needed for someone to act?

• Who pays them?

Think of accountability through a process of community involvement as well as representation, and in relation to specific projects as much as structures. See Terms of reference.

Action plans answer questions of: what do we do next? who does it? with what resources? Action minutes after meetings should ensure something happens, and clarify accountability.

Activists is used here to mean those people active in local organisations and/or developing projects for community benefit, but who are not paid workers. While clearly key people to involve in partnerships and networks, there is a danger of the same faces dominating and being seen as a clique. To avoid this, and involve more people, do some networking and run workshops.

Agendas are the traditional means of planning a formal meeting, circulated with back-up papers. Workshops need a different approach, with charts, posts-its and other ways of stimulating interaction. See also Outcomes, Team building, Vision.

The different interests in a partnership or network will have different aims, and agendas for achieving them. Success comes from finding where these agendas overlap. Conflict develops from lack of understanding or disclosure. The question is: ‘What are we trying to achieve - together?’ Finding the answer usually requires a process to develop trust, projects with priorities — and recognising that communities are not uniform but include many different interests

Aims are a written description of what a group or organisation is trying to achieve, and the objectives are the methods by which they may do that. The different interests in a partnership will all have their own aims and objectives — so focus on where these overlap. See also, Outcomes, Purpose, Vision.

You will need some in forming a partnership — to provide personal support and act as a sounding board; offer advice; host meetings; champion your ideas.

If partnerships are to sustain their activities beyond a few years, they need to plan how to generate revenue after initial grants ends. Development Trusts general aim to create an asset base of land or buildings which may provide rental or other income.

Some of the main barriers to participation and partnership lie in the attitudes people bring to the process. Residents may lack confidence or feel action is not their responsibility. Officials may see getting the job done quickly as a top priority, even if it doesn't meet the needs of all concerned. Councillors may feel their power is eroded by sharing decision making with local people. Non-elected representatives may be uncertain of their roles. Help people to get to know each other and broaden their ideas through workshops, and socials.

See also Commitment, Ownership, Stakeholders.

These may include

Address these through a process to build trust. See also Agendas, Control, Communication, Partnership building.

Partnerships are generally formed with the expressed intention of providing some wider benefit… but there is always a danger that they become inward looking. Who are the intended beneficiaries? Do they get a say through community involvement or representation?

The benefits of forming a partnership for the partners may include bidding for funds otherwise not available; pooling skills and experience; getting a new angle on a problem. Does this outweigh costs — and does it also benefit the intended beneficiaries?

Funding bids are probably the main trigger for partnership formation. In preparing bids:

Brainstorming is defined as 'a means of getting a large number of ideas from a group of people in a short time'. It is one of the most widely used workshop techniques, and useful when partnerships are trying to shape their agenda and tackle problems creatively.

Any partnership which aims to keep going in the long term needs a business or development plan. For a non-profit organisation the plan will balance the costs and income of three parts of its operation:

The business plan should cover at least three years and show how fundraising and any income earned from projects covers the core costs.

See also Companies, Constitution, Fundraising.

Partnerships work because of people. You will need to find people prepared to champion the idea within potential partner organisations and in the wider community. Value these allies, and bring them together in socials as well as more formal events.

Partnerships usually involve change: seeing things from other people's point of view, respecting into other people's ways of doing things and changing your own. This can be threatening, but it can also be enormously creative. It can painful, but it can also be fun. Either way it takes time, which is why creating partnerships should be seen as process, not a structural fix.

A charity is not a particular form of organisation, different from a company or community group. Both may be charities, if they are accepted and registered as such by the Charity Commissioners. (In Scotland and Northern Ireland registration is directly with the Inland Revenue). To be registered as a charity an organisation must have appropriate objects.

Charitable status adds credibility to an organisation, provides some tax benefits, and enables it to apply to large charities for funding. In general charities can only make gifts to other charities. There are, however, restrictions on trading and members of any management committee have substantial additional responsibilities as trustees. Consulting a solicitor or organisation specialising in charity law will save you a lot of time and possible confusion.

These may be flip charts — pads of large paper used with an easel — or simply lining paper tacked to the wall. They are an essential tool of partnership-building, because they help you break out of committee mode. Committees need agendas and minutes — workshops need charts. In using charts:

Two complaints are often heard in community-based organisations: those on the outside maintain a small clique of people decides everything, and no-one else can get a look in. Those on the inside complain they are overworked and others are apathetic. To avoid this, if you are inside aim for transparency, and practice community involvement. Think about other people’s agendas as well as your own. If you are outside, look for some positive ways to engage… go for practical collaborations.

The centre line of partnership-building is gaining commitment. It depends on developing a shared vision, and some ownership of the ideas which are to be put into practice.

Committees of partnership organisations can pose particular problems because almost inevitably people come from different background, and probably haven’t worked together before. In order to overcome this, run workshops and organise socials to complement formal events

Effective communication involves considering how your message will be received as well as how you send it: the meaning of any communication lies in the response you get. Obvious barriers are:

• Lack of clarity about what you want to get across.

• Jargon.

• Hostility to you or your organisation.

• Lack of credibility in the message or the person giving it.

Community is a term so widely applied that it is in danger of losing any meaning, like 'members of the public'. Aren't we all? It is more useful to think of a large number of over-lapping communities distinguished by the characteristics of their members, and the common interests which tie members together and give these characteristics a shared significance. Because individuals may belong to many different communities at the same time, different allegiances may people pull in different directions. There are likely to be competing and conflicting interests within communities. See also networks.

See also Stakeholders.

A community or neighbourhood forum is a regular meeting of community activists and interest groups which may also involve local business, political, religious and social organisations. It may be useful for discussion of issues of concern to local interests, and for stimulating contacts and networking. A forum is not so good for turning discussion into action, where some complementary 'do it' organisation like a Development Trust may be needed.

See also Networking, Small groups, Structures.

Partnership bodies can be just as inward looking and autocratic as larger bureaucracies. In planning community involvement:

Involve partners, and treat them as communities in their own right, and run internal workshops to gain commitment.

A particular form of company, the company limited by guarantee, is increasingly popular as an organisational structure for partnerships. Companies limited by guarantee do not have shareholders — instead their members agree to pay a nominal sum, often only £1, if the company fails. The rights of these members to appoint members of the governing body — the Board — are defined by the constitution — the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The company does not distribute surpluses as profits, but reinvests them in the company. If the members of the Board are unpaid, and the company has appropriate objects, it can seek charitable status.

See also Development Trusts and structures

A constitution sets out governing rules for an organisation. For a company it is the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Constitutions are important at the beginning, when a body is being set up, and when there is an argument about control. Generally:

Constitutions should come after you have decided what the partnership is going to do. In the meantime, you may need some interim arrangement to guide the start up process, like a steering committee.

Consultants may be most helpful for partnerships if:

Consultation is the level of participation at which people are offered some choices on what is to happen, but are not involved in developing additional options. As such it is not a level of partnership.

Control in partnerships tends to lie with those who have the money, skills and administration — however well intentioned they may be in seeking to involve others. For that reason partnerships formed around existing organisations may seem very unequal to other participants. Ways around this include:

Partnerships do cost time, money and commitment if they are to work. Creating the partnership can take up to a year in the case of a formal structure like a development trust. They will need volunteer or staff time, and resources for projects. Will the costs outweigh the benefits?

It is difficult to provide a single definition for partnerships, which can vary considerably in structure and purpose. However, they generally bring together interests from different sectors towards a common aim; share risks, skills and resources; and seek to achieve mutual benefit and synergy. Partnership is more than loose cooperation, coordinating separate activities - or contracting for services.

Incorporated partnerships like Development Trusts which aim to regenerate neighbourhoods may face challenges over their accountability to local people, and calls that their governing bodies - the Board - should be democratically elected.

Some trusts do hold elections, either within the community as a whole, or among local organisations. However, there may be tension between this desire for representation and the need to appoint Board members who have the confidence and competence to run a company, and possibly also act as trustees. It is possible to have a mix of appointed and elected Board members. Plan effective community involvement to ensure some participative democracy.

The Development Trusts Association defines Development Trusts as:

"Community-based organisations working for the sustainable regeneration of their area through a mixture of economic, environmental and social initiatives. They are independent, not-for-profit bodies - often registered charities - which are committed to the involvement of local people in the process of regeneration and aim to be locally accountable in the work they do."

They should not be confused with community trusts, which are fundraising and grant-making bodies. Development Trusts are usually incorporated as a non-profit distributing company with several paid staff to work on projects. They often aim to develop an asset base to ensure their sustainability.

The term director may have two meanings in a Development Trust: first, a member of the Board who is a director under company law, and probably unpaid; second, the chief member of staff, perhaps termed the executive director. He or she will probably not be a member of the Board, and certainly cannot be if the Trust is a charity.

Email or World Wide Web makes it simple (for those online) to engage in collaborative working or discussions without having to be in the same place, or on the phone, at the same time. Forums can be another tool of community involvement — but are no substitute for ‘real’ meetings.

Email transforms partnerships in two ways: first it enormously increases efficiency of operation through easy one-to-one messaging, and many-to-many electronic forums. Second, it challenges hierarchies and makes it easier to operate through equal-status teams. Since anyone can communicate with anyone else anytime, decisions don’t have to wait on committee meetings.

Partnerships are built as much through the relationships of people as formal structures; and the way to build relationships is by bringing people together. Events are the milestones in the process of creating a partnership; whether formal events like steering group and Board meetings, presentations or launches, or informal events like breakfast briefings, lunches or socials.

As opposed to face-to-screen…. F2f is used particularly by online people to remind themselves that sometimes the best way to communicate is to put one head in front of another, preferably in a convivial environment.

Facilitators are to workshops what chairpersons are to committees. They use charts, post-its and other techniques like brainstorming and SWOT to help groups establish priorities and develop action plans — rather than work through a formal agenda. You need both in partnerships.

These include:

A simple checklist to help you think of issues:

In planning any fundraising consider:

• What do you need the money for, and how much? Do a budget.

• When will you need it? Produce a Time Line.

• What will you do if you can't raise the total you need?

• Who is likely to fund you, and why should they support you?

• Will you need more money later when initial funds are used up?

Governance is the issue of ‘who is in charge — ultimately’. In an organisation or company it is clearly the management committee or Board. Governance and accountability is less clear in a network, which may raise concerns if the network is dealing with public funds and community concerns. This may be dealt with by transparency, community involvement and participation.

Increasingly partnerships are formed to ‘join up’ the activities of different agencies. Government is a strong advocate of ‘joined up thinking’. The test of effectiveness is whether a partnership can go beyond joined up writing (of bids) through joined up talking and thinking to joined up delivery. See projects and teams.

A launch can be useful both externally internally:

• It provides a formal start line if used at the beginning, when you can outline the overall process and your stance to others.

• It is a good time to attract media coverage.

• It is an opportunity for social contacts.

• It is a deadline for making decisions and preparing materials.

Consult a solicitor if you are forming a company and/or seeking charitable status. However, do choose one who specialises in this field… it can be a false economy to take ‘free’ advice.

The management committee is the governing body for an organisation, to which staff are accountable. In a company it is the Board of directors. It is important to strike a balance in composition: little will be achieved if everyone on the committee has to learn how to manage an organisation. However, a committee which has no representation of key interests may well find itself in difficulty. Networks may operate as ‘self governing’ groups, in which case community involvement and participation will be particularly important.

The media is mainly in the business of interesting and entertaining its users, and of selling itself or advertising. It is not there as a public service to promote your ideas or project. Journalists judge what is news against 'news values' which generally include:

• Conflict (where's the row).

• Hardship (how many hurt, who is in danger).

• Oddity (that's unusual).

• Scandal (sex, corruption).

• Individuality (what an interesting person).

• Disclosure (we can reveal).

Local journalists have a more relaxed view than Lord Northcliffe, but you do need to consider what's in the story for them. In producing a press release, make sure you have answered the Five Ws plus H.

Meetings are at the heart of partnership building processes, whether social get-togethers, committees, workshops, or public meetings.

Partnership organisations may have wide (public) or limited membership, which may or may not have rights to elect the management committee or Board. If you do plan a membership, consider what benefits you will offer and the costs of providing any services.

Any partnership undertaking substantial work has to consider whose banks account holds funds, and who can sign the cheques. This consideration, more than any other, is likely to determine the structure of a partnership. The account could be with an existing organisation, or that of a new partnership company. ‘Networky’ partnerships may be able to manage by different team using different organisations as fund holders.

We are all members of networks — of friends, family, work, acquaintance, hobbies — and communities can be seen a lots of interlinked networks. Online communication makes it much easier to develop and sustain networks, and richness of connections they offer. Because of this, partnerships are becoming more ‘networky’. Networks place more emphasis on connections between individuals than partnerships formed by bringing different groups or organisations together. One model for a ‘networky’ partnership is linked project teams.

Networking is the important business of making informal contacts, chatting, and picking up further contacts. It is the way to learn:

• What issues people consider important.

• The sort of ideas and language they find familiar.

• Who are the key people and organisations — the stakeholders.

Networking is important before other more formal information-giving like producing leaflets, staging exhibitions and holding meetings. National networking organisations may also be able to provide you with local contacts, and similar projects elsewhere. Online communication has added another dimension to networking because it is possible to keep in touch more easily and cheaply.

The opposite of ownership, and one of the most significant barriers to participation and partnership. People are far more likely to participate effectively in partnerships if they play a part in developing ideas and action plans. Networks may enable people to maintain their own territories - but still require some shared commitment.

Online is where you are when you are connected to the Internet…. a global network of computers enabling you to use email, World Wide Web and other tools increasingly essential to partnerships. See email, WWW , virtual teams and networks for why. The UK Government has set targets for all citizen dealings with Government to be online by 2005. That means all inter-organisational dealing are likely to be online too. If you are not online, you will be out of the loop.

Outcomes is used here to describe those general results of plans and actions which you are seeking to achieve. Thinking in terms of outcomes which you may see, hear, feel as well as the more abstract aims and objectives should help clarify what to do to achieve what you want. For partnerships to work well, the outcomes sought by different parties must dovetail to some extent.

Outputs are the measurable results of projects or programmes — homes built, people who have completed training — and are dear to funders who want to know what they are getting for their money.

The stake that people have in an idea, a project or an organisation is fundamental to their commitment. For that reason, early brainstorming workshops, where everyone has a chance to contribute ideas, are important.

See also Control.

Participation is used here to describe a process by which individuals, groups and organisations are consulted about or have the opportunity to become actively involved in a project or programme of activity.

Partnerships are formal or informal arrangements to work together to some joint purpose. In my view:

Partnerships do not have to be equal — but the various parties do need to feel that they are involved to an appropriate degree.

Partnerships, like relationships, take time to develop. Are partners after the same thing (outcome)? Do they have the same idea of what is important (values)? Do they trust each other? It may be helpful to think of developing a partnership as a four-stage process:

A great technical aid to collective decision-making, and an improvement on basic Brainstorming. When running workshops give people pads of Post-its to write their ideas on, then stick them on a chart and move them around into groups.

Used here to mean paid workers involved in local organisations and/or projects for community benefit.

One effective means of clarifying the purpose and values of a partnership is to brainstorm project ideas, and then as a group to prioritise what is most important, and what has to be done first.

Businesses, large or small, are as much part of any community as local residents and are key partners for partnerships like Development Trusts for several reasons:

• Trusts need business skills among both staff and Board members.

• Companies may be able to offer help in kind of premises, equipment and staff time. Occasionally they may offer funding.

• The private sector will be an important partner in developing Trust projects and programmes.

• In the long term local businesses are the key to local prosperity and a healthy local economy.

Although widely used, public meetings are not the most effective method of involving people. While they may be useful giving information, and gaining support around a clear-cut issue, they are poor vehicles for debate and decision-making. Classic public meetings with a platform party can easily be dominated by a small number of people, and become stage sets for confrontation.