Most of the cross-border partnerships being formed fall under the description “Partnership is forming relationships to do things”.
The key characteristic is that the partners aim to achieve something they could not do alone, by pooling skills and/or other resources. To do this they have to have
- A shared vision of their goals and
- A way of working together which realises this ambition.
It is important to be realistic about the potential of partnerships. Yes, great benefits and opportunities can come about through partnerships. However, there are challenges as well.
Partnerships - benefits and opportunities
- Making one plus one equal more than two – sharing ideas and resources towards common goals.
- Gaining access to the skills of others.
- Mutual support to maintain enthusiasm and commitment.
- Learning from seeing things differently, through others’ eyes.
- Ability to secure funding that requires partnership working.
- Taking the time to develop relationships and feasibility plans.
But also… barriers and challenges
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Suspicion of others involved, and lack of trust.
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Fear of losing a separate identity.
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Unacceptable inequalities of power and control.
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Failure to recognise different personality types and communication styles.
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Lack of clarity on roles, responsibilities and leadership.
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Confusions about the nature and style of involvement – by representation or participation.
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Taking the time necessary to develop relationships and feasibility plans.
Be aware of some of the challenges that may confront a new partnership, try to identify these as they occur and work on overcoming them.