23.11.2014 Views

High-Performance Partnerships - National Academy of Public ...

High-Performance Partnerships - National Academy of Public ...

High-Performance Partnerships - National Academy of Public ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

MISSION AND PLANNING<br />

chapter six<br />

he public, nonpr<strong>of</strong>it, and civic sectors frequently want to work together, and they<br />

T<br />

broadly embrace collaboration. In practice, however, the mechanics for doing so can be<br />

elusive. There must be a compelling reason for organizations—especially those from different<br />

sectors—to sacrifice their autonomy and share responsibility, resources, and accountability. The<br />

process begins with agreeing on the problem and ways to address it. Organizations will meaningfully<br />

participate in a partnership if the purpose is convincing. An organization is more likely to join<br />

if the partnership’s mission aligns or overlaps with its own. This can be a win-win situation for the<br />

entire partnership and its individual members.<br />

Once a mission is established, the next step is<br />

to identify key goals. The goals should specify<br />

what the partnership plans to accomplish, and<br />

when. They should be measurable and directly<br />

tied to the collaboration’s purpose. Only then<br />

is the partnership fully prepared to develop its<br />

strategic plan which “operationalizes” the mission<br />

and goals. The plan should identify the<br />

specific actions, roles, responsibilities, timeframe,<br />

and resources.<br />

“We have a mission that all the partners can easily<br />

relate to and feel passionate about.Whenever<br />

we run into trouble, turf conflict, or disagreement,<br />

our focus on the goal—all children born<br />

healthy and entering school healthy and ready to<br />

learn—enables us to come back together and<br />

proceed with our work toward that goal.”<br />

Debbie Russell, Healthy Families Partnership (Hampton)<br />

FIGURE 6-1<br />

MISSION,VISION,AND PLANNING COLLAGE<br />

Mission, Vision, Planning<br />

• Specific<br />

• Measurable<br />

• Action-Oriented<br />

• Realistic<br />

• Timely<br />

WORK<br />

SMART<br />

DO IT<br />

UP FRONT<br />

GET<br />

AGREEMENT<br />

• Round up the usual<br />

suspects then add<br />

non-traditional members<br />

• Identify partners with<br />

clout via asset mapping<br />

• Document MVP in writing<br />

• Private sector and<br />

money partners want<br />

to see a ROI<br />

• Customers demand<br />

short-term results<br />

• Volunteers are<br />

motivated by<br />

intangibles<br />

• Thank everyone<br />

But know that it’s<br />

impossible to<br />

please everyone<br />

THE KISS<br />

PRINCIPLE<br />

MVP IS<br />

POLITICALLY<br />

ESSENTIAL<br />

Know your<br />

audience & tailor<br />

reports to what’s<br />

important to<br />

each partner.<br />

THE<br />

GLUE THAT<br />

UNIFIES THE<br />

PARTNERSHIP<br />

KEEP<br />

PLANS UP<br />

TO DATE<br />

ARTICULATE<br />

THE<br />

VISION<br />

• It’s an iterative<br />

process<br />

• Evolves with<br />

changing needs<br />

COMPELLING<br />

MVP &<br />

VALUES<br />

• Why we do what we do<br />

• Where we want to go<br />

• How we’ll get there<br />

• How we act along<br />

the way<br />

• In oral histories<br />

• In marketing literature<br />

• In writing<br />

But don’t get bogged<br />

down with trying to<br />

make it perfect.<br />

82 Powering the Future: <strong>High</strong>-<strong>Performance</strong> <strong>Partnerships</strong>

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!