Building Strong Partnerships

Partnerships between public and private organizations are an important feature of the modern governance landscape.  How policies are developed, who is tasked with implementation and who is accountable for results are questions that need answers when working across sectoral lines. 

Over the past several years, activities traditionally associated with governments have been devolved or shared with civil society or the private sector.  Crown corporations are privatized; capital projects are owned and operated by private business; civil society may deliver government funded programs to citizens; different departments or jurisdictions may join together to provide ‘single-window’ services.  When traditional lines are blurred or changed, doubt and friction can result. Sometimes this is just part of sorting through responsibilities but it is useful to recognize pit-falls and work to avoid them. 

A partnership is more than a relationship governed by a contract, where one party pays another for delivering a good or service.  A partnership is formed when parties bring to the table complementary skills, expertise and/or resources that together achieve the desired result.  Private sector organizations can often bring innovation to the table; governments bring legitimacy, regulation or funding; civil society or citizens themselves, can offer insight, grass-roots connections and moral suasion. 

Partnerships speak to shared accountability, who makes decisions, and who can influence them, and therefore the governance systems and beliefs behind them are crucial.  When partnerships work, when partners rely on each others’ strengths, whole societies can benefit.

How we can help you

The IOG has experience in the following aspects of Partnerships:

• Exploring partnership possibilities
• ‘Whole of government’ approaches
• Strengthening capacity
• Citizen engagement & communications
• Accountability
• Partnering in policy development
• Partnering in service delivery
• Building and sustaining networks

To find out more about IOG's services related to Building Strong Partnerships, please contact us.