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

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MISSION AND PLANNING<br />

chapter six<br />

3. Use data and outside facilitation.<br />

A partnership should use data and outside<br />

facilitation to craft its mission and goals. Data<br />

are a strong motivator for developing specific<br />

outcomes that resonate with potential partners,<br />

funders, and stakeholders. An independent<br />

facilitator can help to develop a mission<br />

statement and outcomes that address salient<br />

issues and highlight individual linkages.<br />

Safe Passages undertook an extensive “denominator<br />

exercise” to determine its goals and the implementation<br />

strategies acceptable to its partners. This exercise was<br />

data driven and participatory. The results form the basis<br />

for the partnership’s activities.<br />

Safe Passages Oakland Annual Progress Report, 2000<br />

4. Develop a strategic plan that outlines<br />

action items, timeframes, and resource<br />

allocation.<br />

The partnership should develop a detailed<br />

strategic plan that outlines each partner’s<br />

action items, timeframes, and resource allocation.<br />

The partners should jointly prepare the<br />

plan, update it routinely, and understand their<br />

roles, responsibilities, and accountability. It is<br />

preferable to document the partnership’s purpose<br />

and goals at the outset, but it is never too<br />

late. If the partnership already exists, clarifying<br />

its purpose—even midstream—can<br />

enhance performance.<br />

5. Widely publicize the mission statement<br />

and strategic plan.<br />

A partnership should widely publicize its mission<br />

statement and strategic plan. <strong>Public</strong> discussion<br />

can provide the opportunity to vet<br />

outstanding confusion. Through this process,<br />

the partnership can build understanding, and<br />

hopefully consensus, among stakeholders.<br />

The mission statement and plan also should be<br />

widely communicated within the partnership<br />

itself. The participants, employees, and volunteers<br />

should be conversant in the partnership’s<br />

purpose and how they directly relate to achieving<br />

it. Further, the desired outcomes should be<br />

directly tied to staff work plans and performance<br />

objectives.<br />

BALANCING PLANNING<br />

AND ACTION<br />

The Challenge<br />

Strategic planning is critical to a high-performance<br />

partnership. Without a clear<br />

roadmap that delineates responsibilities and<br />

interaction, performance will only be coincidental.<br />

This process is best accomplished<br />

through an iterative process: plan, act, revise,<br />

and act some more. At the same time, the<br />

effectiveness <strong>of</strong> strategic planning cannot truly<br />

be assessed until implementation is underway.<br />

Likewise, a partnership must act decisively to<br />

gain community, stakeholder, and funder commitment.<br />

Action also helps solidify the operational<br />

environment and the members’ roles<br />

and responsibilities. It demonstrates the part-<br />

After the Lapham Park Venture functioned for a few months, the partners raised serious<br />

questions about how well the mission and outcomes had been thought through. The<br />

Venture wanted to implement a true philosophy <strong>of</strong> creating an environment <strong>of</strong> empowerment.<br />

The partnership decided to enter a formal strategic planning process involving all<br />

partners, including the residents. The partners pooled resources to engage a facilitator and<br />

had two days <strong>of</strong> group planning to develop three-year goals.As part <strong>of</strong> the process, the<br />

Venture refined its mission statement, designed four major goals with objectives and outcomes,<br />

and established four workgroups to guide progress toward the goals.<br />

Lapham Park Venture (Milwaukee)<br />

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

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