Why are partnerships important?

Benefits of partnerships

Partnerships provide the capacity to achieve what may not otherwise be achieved. The partnership links theory to practice providing both parties with access to unique resources. The University provides partners with access to research staff, training programs, education packages, students and access to alternate funding for programs and research. This can be utilized to build workforce capacity, expand the research capacity of the partner or develop individual personnel. The partnership also provides the partners with access to the best student graduates, as well as staff expertise for consulting activities. The University benefits through access to industry providing staff with exposure to commercial activities and facilities, opportunities for applied research. The partnership offers the opportunity for commercial practice to inform teaching programs and develop places for students to train with industry.

Benefits to the Partner Organisation

Access to research staff, consultants and graduate students
Research theory can be used to inform professional practice
Education, training and career development
Linking theory, practice and research
Access to new funding programs
Enhanced capacity

Benefits to the University

Applied research opportunities
Commercial facilities and practices
Professional knowledge input into the teaching programs
Professional placements for students
Additional funding schemes
Graduate employment opportunities

Characteristics of a strong partnership program

The commitment of the people involved in the partnership is critical for the development of an effective and productive partnership. The first critical step is understanding the partner’s business and expectations for the partnership. Like any business relationship, good leadership, coordination, and open communication, coupled with clearly articulated agreed expectations, policies, strategies and processes for measurement and evaluation of performance are the critical ingredients for success. Effective partnerships require a truly collaborative approach to the management of the activities encompassed within the partnership. Both parties should have equal input to developing the partnership. A partnership is created because individual parties believe they can better achieve their goals by working together.

Strong leadership and open communication is essential to develop the understanding of the partner and the trust necessary to develop agreed long-term objectives and agreed strategies to achieve these objectives. Organisations have different culture and work practices that must be respected and constructive compromises negotiated to ensure effective use of shared resources, and expertise. Ultimately both partners must be satisfied with the outcomes in relation to their agreed expectations and obtain satisfactory returns on their investment. The measures of performance should be quantifiable and meaningful to both organisations.

The characteristics of a strong partnership are:

Committed staff and program champions
Can-do attitude
Provides greater perceived value
Clear understanding of each organisations needs
Strong sense of purpose from a steering group
Alignment with needs of partners
Careful nurturing of long standing arrangements
Relationship based on mutual respect and trust
True collaboration and strong sense of cooperation
Responsive to the partner (patience, sensitivity & flexibility)
Strong communication channels
Internal marketing of partnership
Dissemination of results and successes
On-site presence at both partners
Strong financial commitment
Comprehensive but flexible contract
Joint ownership of personnel and projects
Senior personnel with delegated authority
Initial seeding funds
Adequately resourced to achieve the objectives
Research assistance for key projects
Regular review of partnership performance
Frequent meetings to ensure partnership is serving the needs of different players
Measurable key performance indicators
Encouragement to explore boundaries and to grow partnership

It should be noted that it is rare that strategies are so well crafted and durable that they go unaltered. Even the best laid plans must be adapted to shifting conditions, altered needs and preferences, experience of what isn’t working, emerging opportunities and fresh thinking to improve outcomes. Partnerships are no different and clearly evolve in response to successes and partner’s needs.