The Partnering Initiative works with individuals, organisations and systems to promote and develop partnerships for sustainable development - between business, government and civil society. Ros Tennyson presented as part of SiG's Inspiring Action for Social Impact Series. This is the presentation she spoke to;

1. The
Art
&
Science
of
Cross-­‐sector
Partnering
Ros
Tennyson
Senior
Partnership
Advisor,
IBLF
The Partnership Brokering Project

2. Defining
The
Term
‘Partnership’
An
ongoing
working
rela-onship
where
risks
and
benefits
are
shared
What
ma<ers
most
is
not
whether
partnerships
conform
to
this
defini?on
but
that
all
partners
in
a
partnership
agree
a
defini?on
that
underpins
their
work.
Most
partners
do
not
work
with
a
shared
defini?on...(and
this
can
be
fatal)
Most
partnerships
‘play
safe’...(and
fail
to
maximise
poten?al)

3. Being
in
line
with
this
defini?on
implies…
helps
to
CO-­‐CREATE
ac<vi<es
that
each
partner:
is
brings
some
ACCOUNTABLE
CONTRIBUTION
to
the
group
to
the
table

4. Partnerships
evolve
over
?me
…

5. Partnerships
need
(at
least)
3
core
principles…
1. EQUITY RESPECT
for the added value each
party brings
2. TRANSPARENCY TRUST
with partners more willing
to innovate & take risks
3. MUTUAL
BENEFIT ENGAGEMENT
more likely to sustain &
build value over time

6. Partnering
key
issue:
Addressing (actual or perceived) power imbalance

7. Partnering
key
issue:
Understanding each other’s underlying interests

8. Partnering
key
issue:
Investing in the partnership-building process

9. Partnering
challenges
• Leadership
&
collabora<on
• Reconfiguring
language
&
thinking
• Unity
&
diversity
• Differing
views
of
‘success’
• LeKng
go
of
(some)
control
• Communica<on
That’s
OK,
I’m
not
listening
I’m
not
talking
to
you

10. Partnering
is
an
‘art’
because
it
requires:
✽ Insight
/
imagina?on
/
feeling
✽ Vision
(of
the
future)
✽ People
skills
✽ Ac?ve
listening
✽ Personal
engagement
Rene Magritte

11. Partnering
is
a
‘science’
because
it
requires:
✽ Knowledge
/
analysis
/
thinking
✽
Understanding
(of
the
past)
✽
Administra?ve
/
technical
skills
✽
Precise
speaking
✽
Professional
detachment

12. At
its
best,
partnering:
Allows
a
level
of
risk
/
‘out
of
the
box’
thinking
Mobilises
/
is
driven
by
diverse
resources
Gets
beyond
/
and
changes
the
status
quo
Draws
out
new
forms
of
leadership
Makes
collabora?on
an
exci?ng
and
realis?c
op?on
Tackles
the
seemingly
impossible
Assumes
‘change’
is
the
norm...

13. To
download
tool
books
go
to:
thepartneringini?a?ve.org
For
informa?on
on
the
Partnership
Brokering
Project:
partnershipbrokers.org
To
connect
with
other
partnership
prac??oners:
partnershipforum.org