working together for sustainability
TRANSCRIPT
Working Together for Sustainability
Andrew Talbot & Andrea Egan, CollaborationNI Legal Advisers
Thursday 4 February 2016
Today we will consider …
•What is CollaborationNI?
•What is partnership working?
•What are the potential benefits?
•Why does it sometimes go wrong?
•How to overcome the challenges?
•Options for Sustainability
•Partnership of NICVA, CO3 and Stellar Leadership
•Commissioned by the Building Change Trust
•Provides bespoke, tailored support to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations working in collaboration
•Forming alliances, building consortia, negotiating mergers
•Worked with over 1,000 organisations – over 125 legal agreements
•Provides an independent, honest-broker service
Smart and heart approach
‘
What is partnership working?
INFORMAL SHARING WITHOUT MERGING MERGER
Networks & foraAssemblies
Clusters
Consortia
tendering
Joint venture-
including joint
service
delivery; joint
campaigning
Sharing ‘back
office’
functions
Sharing premises/
Co-location
Group
structureAcquisition
Equal
merger
LOW IMPACT ON ORGANISATIONAL BOUNDARIES HIGH
Consortia bids …
•Funders are actively encouraging consortium bids for grants and tenders
•Joint bids reduce your risk – put in a separate bid and you may lose out
•Need to do the groundwork early – quick turnaround may be required
•Start building relationships long before the bid is advertised
•Dealbreakers – financial settlement & who will be contract lead
The Benefits of Collaborative Working
•New/improved services for your beneficiaries•Sustainability•Financial savings – economies of scale•Share support services – IT, HR, Finance•Influencing – speak with one voice - marketing; media access; credibility with funders; negotiating strength•Reputation of the Voluntary and Community sector enhanced•Share good practice – ideas, policies and procedures, learning, training – new colleagues and allies•Access funding – competitive advantage; scale up; build consortia
But why does it all go wrong!
•Trust•No clear shared goal•Lack of clarity on the detail•Outcomes not justified by time/resources•Personalities – past history of competition•Inexperience or bad previous experience•Poor communication•Cultural mismatch•Funder-driven ‘partnerships’ – no buy-in
How can we overcome these challenges …
•Focus on relationships – organisations don’t collaborate, people do
•Focus on the big picture - Leadership and strategic vision – collaboration is a leap of faith
•Focus on your beneficiaries – what’s in it for them?
•Negotiate! The partnership has to benefit every partner – a clear win-win
Practical tips …
•Facilitation – bring in an ‘honest broker’ to agree and chair the process and negotiate terms
•Make sure there is ‘buy-in’ from everyone
•Establish a Steering Group – to provide leadership and ownership
•Arrange a ‘quick win’
•Write it down! - Underpin the partnership with an agreement
Options for Sustainability …
•Diversify income streams – grants, contracts, earned income
•Social economy business opportunities
•Volunteers
•Focus on core mission
•Collaboration and partnership working
8 Collaboration Dos and Don’ts:
•Don’t overthink it – great partnership working is a leap of faith•Do check for buy-in•Do make certain it is a collaboration of the willing – not the reluctant•Do focus on long-term trust and relationships•Do take time to negotiate your purpose/process/action plan•Do put a steering group in place•Do have a written agreement•Don’t be afraid to walk away!
Andrew [email protected]
Leeann [email protected]
Andrea Egan [email protected]
www.collaborationni.org