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Strengthening partnerships
Two organisations working towards the same goals can do good work separately – or achieve extraordinary results together. The difference does not always lie in resources or expertise, but in the quality of the cooperation. Effective collaboration multiplies impact, pools strengths and creates synergies that none of the organisations involved could have generated on their own. However, partnerships do not arise of their own accord, nor do they last on their own. They require active nurturing, clear agreements and a genuine willingness not only to benefit from the partnership, but also to contribute something of one’s own. Those who understand this build partnerships that truly stand the test of time – in good times and in difficult ones.
Why strong partnerships are so rare
Partnerships are often touted in humanitarian work – yet in practice they frequently fall short of expectations. There are various reasons for this. Sometimes organisations compete for the same funding and are therefore reluctant to share knowledge or resources. Sometimes cooperation agreements look ambitious on paper but are scarcely put into practice in day-to-day work. And sometimes cooperation simply fails because the expectations of those involved are too far apart and were never properly clarified.
Strong partnerships are rare because they must meet certain conditions that cannot be taken for granted: mutual trust, complementary strengths, shared values and a willingness to stick together even when things get difficult. Organisations that fulfil these conditions find that partnerships are a powerful tool. Those that neglect them find them disappointing – and often draw the wrong conclusion that partnerships simply do not work.
The truth is: partnerships work if they are set up properly and consistently nurtured. It is not a matter of luck, but a matter of attitude and approach.
What makes for strong partnerships
Successful partnerships share certain characteristics that are consistently evident in practice – regardless of the sector or country in which they take place.
Shared goals and clear expectations
The starting point for any sustainable collaboration is a shared goal. Not two similar goals that are somehow brought together – but a genuine shared understanding of what we want to achieve together and why. This shared goal is the anchor around which all decisions and priorities are centred. If it is missing or unclear, collaborations will drift apart sooner or later.
It is equally important to clarify expectations at an early stage. What does each side bring to the table? What do they expect in return? Who is responsible for what – and how are decisions made when opinions differ? These questions can sometimes be awkward to ask, particularly at an early stage when both sides are still keen to make a good impression. But collaborations built on unclarified assumptions will pay the price sooner or later – in the form of conflicts that could have been avoided.
A written cooperation agreement is not a vote of no confidence, but rather a sign of professionalism. It sets out what has been agreed, creates a binding commitment and serves as a point of reference should questions or conflicts arise. In public-private partnerships in development cooperation, such an agreement is often even a prerequisite for eligibility for funding.
Making the most of complementary strengths
The strongest partnerships arise where the parties involved do not simply do the same thing, but complement one another. One organisation brings local roots and the trust of the community; the other brings international experience and access to funding. One has expertise in healthcare; the other in education and childcare. When these strengths are wisely combined, the result is something greater than the sum of its parts.
This presupposes that both sides are prepared to speak honestly about their strengths and limitations. Anyone who pretends they have no weaknesses prevents their partner from stepping in precisely where it is needed. Being open about one’s own limitations is not a weakness in a partnership – it is a fundamental prerequisite for the collaboration to work effectively.
The following questions will help you to make targeted use of complementary strengths:
- In which areas is our organisation particularly strong – and where do we have blind spots?
- What does the potential partner bring to the table that we ourselves do not have?
- How can we combine our respective strengths in such a way that the impact is greater than if we were to act separately?
- Which tasks can be clearly assigned, and which require close coordination?
Maintaining partnerships during difficult times
Every partnership goes through a difficult phase at some point – whether due to external events, internal tensions or a change in priorities at one of the organisations involved. What matters then is not whether difficulties arise, but how they are dealt with.
Open communication is the most important tool in such situations. Those who address problems before they become entrenched have a good chance of resolving them together. Those who ignore them or try to resolve them unilaterally risk damaging trust – and with it, the very foundation of cooperation itself.
Strong partnerships weather difficult times not in spite of the challenges, but because of the way they deal with them. Every crisis overcome together strengthens trust – and makes the partnership more resilient to whatever lies ahead. Those who take this to heart do not treat partnerships as a means to an end, but as something worth nurturing and strengthening in the long term.