Community Partnerships
A Program of the Public Library Assocaition
Overview
1. Guide to Effective Partnerships
A Guide for Effective Community Partnerships
Table of Contents
- Why Form Partnerships?
- The Partnership Formation Process
- Tips for an Effective Partnership
- Other Resources
Why Form Partnerships?
Community partnerships add value not only to the partner organizations, but to the community and those served. It allows those involved to increase their impact without expending extra resources
The Partnership Formation Process
Access Needs
Consider Your Strengths
Find Strategic Alignment
Align the Goals
Execute
Access Needs
Assessing Community Needs
It is important for you to really examine your community and see how the library can most meet the needs of its members. Evaluate your library and community goals, and incorporate existing strategic plans based on community needs. Envision what your library could be in the future to consciously make the choices to get you there.
How Do I Assess Community Needs?
- Perform community focus groups
- Talk with your staff and other community leaders
- Think critically about issues facing your community
The Partnership Formation Process
Access Needs
Consider Your Strengths
Find Strategic Alignment
Align the Goals
Execute
Understanding Your Strengths
In order to be an effective partner, you have to understand what your library is good at and what it can bring to the table. When partnering it is important to contribute your strengths and look for partners in your weak areas.
How Do I Assess My Strengths?
- Talk with your staff about weaknesses and strengths
- Use data from outcome measurement to identify areas of strength
The Partnership Formation Process
Access Needs
Consider Your Strengths
Find Strategic Alignment
Align the Goals
Execute
Finding Strategic Alignment
Will the collaboration help fulfill the library’s mission and goals? Find common ground between the library and community organizations that can help with implementation of library services and goals. Partnerships with strategic alignment are much more likely to succeed.
How Do I Find Strategic Alignment?
- Focus on a specific project, program or issue when working and talking with potential partners
- Look at how your strengths and weaknesses align with your partner's
The Partnership Formation Process
Access Needs
Consider Your Strengths
Find Strategic Alignment
Align the Goals
Execute
Aligning Your Goals
Before you begin to work with your partner, be sure to discuss each partners' goals, what they are willing to contribute to the partnership, and how the organizations will work together. Aligning goals and discussed how the partnership will work from the beginning will allow the partnership to work better and prevent it from breaking down later on.
How Do I Align My Goals?
- Discuss what each partner wants to get out of the partnership and create a partnership memorandum
- Begin to plan out the partnership, including milestones and deliverables both partners are responsible for
Creating a Partnership Memorandum
Your Memorandum should include:
- Summary of assets and needs identified
- Description of target audiences and constituencies
- Description of goals, objectives, purpose and shared agreements
- Resources and equipment needs and how needs will be fulfilled
- Defined roles and responsibilities
- Milestones, timeline, what happens when Key contacts and decision process and approval Expected deliverables
- Termination procedures: what to do if the collaboration doesn’t work out
- Plan for program documentation and evaluation. What will success look like? What information needs to be gathered for evaluation, and who will be responsible?
- Budget and funding sources and responsibilities
- Plan for public awareness and marketing
Be careful when crafting the memorandum to avoid terms that could have legal implications, such as joint venture and partnership agreement.
The Partnership Formation Process
Access Needs
Consider Your Strengths
Find Strategic Alignment
Align the Goals
Execute
Executing
When executing the partnership, be sure to have regular communication and that everyone is aware of what the others are doing. Collaboration is built on trust, and communication builds trust and ensures everyone is ready and able to succeed. Depending on your time frame and partners, hold meetings at regular intervals. For some this might be weekly, others it may be quarterly.
Additional Resources
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