Partnerships for Capacity Building and Quality ... - ADEA

Automatically, when we think of partnerships we think of business relations.Business people enter into various types of partnership because they are beneficialto them or because they are the only means available to promote theirinterests or maximize profits. For example, a foreign company may enter into apartnership with an African company that is well-established in its country. Inentering such a partnership, the foreign company will have access to the Africanmarket, sources of raw materials, and in the process learn something useful forthe long-term business interest of the company. The African company may benefitfrom the advanced technology and organizational expertise of the foreigncompany, as well as enhancement of profits. Both companies might also gainother types of knowledge and information which could not otherwise have beenobtained. Ideally, in such cases, the cross-fertilization that occurs will enhanceeach partner’s gains. Hence, although each of the partners is differently endowedin terms of their comparative advantages—one may have the technology andorganizational expertise, and the other may have the knowledge and share of thelocal market, human resources and the contacts that are essential to the operationof any business—each finds common interests.The pursuit of profits does not motivate partnerships for development cooperationwhich, rather, are long-term and largely political and humanitarian. This,therefore, makes such partnerships subject to policy changes, continuous debatesand more diffuse forms of accountability than straightforward balancesheet calculations. Development partners may have varying interests, but theyhave common objectives.The “business” of education has two major actors: the State and Civil Society.The latter is composed of communities, parents’ associations, teachers’ unions,private schools and universities, private enterprise, etc. A well-functioning educationsystem is continually forging partnerships between representatives ofthese two actors. In addition to providing resources, the external financing andtechnical partners help provide access to information and technologies neededto live and compete in this interdependent world.How successful partnerships develop—the mechanics of partnershipsSuccessful partnership relationships require clear understandings of how theyoperate. Clarity is required on the reasonable expectations, roles, interests, obligationsand responsibilities of all the partners, on all sides of the equation. Toattain this, effective communication between the interested parties is a centralenabling factor. As the factors and dimensions that contribute to productive andsustainable partnerships are examined, it will be useful to think of illustrations.The papers in this volume serve this purpose.What are effective bases for organizing partnerships: contracts or trust? Moreoften than not, partnerships in the North are sealed by contractual agreementsINTRODUCTION: MAKING PARTNERSHIP WORK 13