Management and Communication

Norms and Communications:

These two ideas are essentially the core concepts of creating relationships. Relationships are
absolutely vital for the health and success of a partnership. Continuous, open communication
and norms amongst the members will maintain a healthy partnership. Below are the 4 simple
steps to creating norms.
1. Identify shared values of the group.
2. Document the norms and make them easily accessible.
3. Communicate the norms regularly.
4. Update the norms as often as required.

Designing and Formalizing Partnerships:

Often times, partnerships are very informal. A simple discussion of what could be is had,
however no formal agreement is made. In order for a partnership to thrive, there needs to be a
tangible agreement. This type of agreement will create accountability and offer some guidance.
These formalized partnerships tend to communicate more clearly and are more easily
governed. Three examples of formal partnerships are associations, foundations, and agencies.
Some advantages associated with these type partnerships are:
1. Increased authority and capacity to exert influence (Associations)
2. More focused activities and greater likelihood of sustainability (Foundations)
3. Ability to manage large scale resources (Agencies)

Working Group and Steering Committee:

What are working groups and steering committees?

“Working Groups are sub-groups reporting to the Steering Committee that help choose and
implement strategies, engage community members, and track progress towards goals.
Members are often relevant subject matter or community experts.”

“The Steering Committee is a group comprised of cross-sector community partners

representative of the relevant ecosystem that provides strategic direction for the Collective
Impact initiative and champions its work. Alternative terms for this group include Advisory
Group, Advisory Council, and Leadership Table.”

These two tools are great in management and communication of your partnership. As different
groups set out to achieve that common goal, the working group of experts find ways to
complete specific tasks where their strengths can be fully utilized. Meanwhile, the steering
committee is responsible for driving these working groups towards the bigger picture as it
reports back to the partnership.
 References

https://www.collectiveimpactforum.org/resources/tools-working-groups

https://www.collectiveimpactforum.org/resources/tools-steering-committees

Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder’s Library (2010). Partnerships: Frameworks for Working

Together, Managing Partnerships.

Tennyson, Ron. The Partnering Toolbook (2011). An essential guide to cross-sector partnering:
Partnering Agreements.