Managing Collaborative Arrangements: A Guide for Regional Managers

D. Sustaining the partnership

“Much of the success of horizontal initiatives depends upon the ability of participants to build productive working relationships with each other to some extent outside the regular hierarchy of the public service. This can amount to the creation of a kind of sub-culture focussed on the problem at hand. The key to building such relationships is open communication, continued dialogue and information sharing, which help to build a climate of trust. Credibility is also an important factor in building trust and is won through a series of small actions, such as sticking to agreements, honouring commitments and responding in a timely manner. Honouring small undertakings then builds confidence that larger commitments will be respected. However, building trust and credibility takes time and patience and cannot be achieved overnight. ”⁶

Communications and marketing⁷

Establish joint responsibilities and approval procedures for marketing and communications strategies and materials, including arrangements for the initial announcement by ministers and/or senior officials of the partner organizations. Integral to this process are client feedback and the measurement of stakeholder satisfaction.

• Identify relevant principles and processes to be adhered to in order to ensure that the partnership is portrayed in a manner that is consistent with public service values and ethics, and the objectives and interests of the partners.

• Identify points of delivery and contacts in partner organizations, as well as appropriate communications channels and methodologies (or commit the partners to complete this task) for core activities related to the administration, operation and management of the partnership, and for all matters relating to client service.

• Obtain a commitment from partners to communicate effectively (perhaps jointly) the details of the partnership and related expectations to their staff, and provide training materials and instruction to all personnel as required during the partnership. The quality of interaction between staff in the partner organizations, and their understanding, acceptance and support will be critical to the success of the partnership.

The goal of communicating between partners is to generate a high level of interest and awareness among existing (and potential) participants in the collaborative arrangement. This is a key element in sustaining the viability of the collaboration.

Here are the principle elements of a communications strategy or plan:

• Public environment – Major issues related to the initiative that have received a media profile: what do the Canadian public, media and key stakeholders think about these issues and related subject?

• Target audiences – Those people or groups to be targeted when developing and delivering the communications messages and activities, e.g., potential payment recipients, industry, interest or lobby groups, and others.

• Strategic considerations – These describe how the initiative will likely be received, including any elements expected to result in positive or negative reactions. This section also covers the best ways and times to present the initiative and other major issues that could impact the initiative (i.e., economic considerations, local challenges, opponents, by-election, etc.).

• Main/key messages – three or four succinct speaking points that will be used by designated spokespeople when publicly discussing the initiative. They should capture the initiative's overall goals and highlights.

• Links to other departments – Provincial/territorial or regional sensitivities or partnerships and interdepartmental and/or third-party/stakeholder partnerships. “External networks of clients, interest groups and other stakeholders can provide valuable support for the initiative and help keep it on the political agenda. These networks need to be nurtured through early engagement and regular consultation. ”⁸

Motivating participants and maintaining momentum

Recognizing that the human element is the single most important factor in the success of any partnership, here are a number of measures that can help to secure on-going commitment from participants in order to maintain the momentum of the initiative:

• Maintain focus and try not to lose sight of the fundamental objectives of the initiative.

• Set realistic and achievable goals that recognize political and organizational realities and resource limitations.

• Don't take on too much at once. Start with small well-defined projects with a high probability of success before embarking on more ambitious projects.

• Maintain the flexibility to innovate and respond quickly to emergent opportunities and avoid too much formality and control.

• Find ways to recognize the commitment of those involved.

• Establish an effective secretariat that can take on as much of the routine work as possible, foster open communication and provide consistent messaging.

Effective meetings

Successful meetings are often the key to successful partnerships. We have found an excellent Web site that provides hands-on meeting advice for all situations, whether you are a newcomer to meetings or a seasoned pro. It deals with: the importance of meetings, how to create agendas, insights into teamwork, etc. Make sure you visit this site: http://www.effectivemeetings.com

RECOMMENDED STEPS

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Best practices

• Outline specific tasks that need to be done.

• Assign specific functions to each of the team members.

• Have them report to the group on a regular basis on progress.

• Keep the lines of communication open.