Sustaining Outcomes: A Guide to Best Practices for Partnership Governance in NGOs/NPOs

• Partnership governance is the set of rules, processes, structures, and relationships that guide the decision-making and actions of the partners involved in a collaborative initiative.
• Partnership governance is important for sustaining outcomes, which means ensuring that the positive changes or effects achieved by the partnership are maintained or enhanced over time.
• Partnership governance depends on the context, nature, scope, and stage of the partnership. Different types of partnerships may require different levels of formality, complexity, and flexibility in their governance arrangements.
• Partnership governance is not a static concept. It evolves over time as the partnership matures, the context changes and new challenges emerge. NGOs/NPOs need to be prepared for the future of partnership governance by anticipating trends, opportunities, and threats that may affect their collaboration.
• Partnership governance can be improved by following best practices such as open communication, shared goals and objectives, and regular evaluation and feedback. These practices can help partners to build trust, align expectations, coordinate actions, resolve conflicts, learn from each other, and improve their performance.

Non-profit organizations (NPOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are vital in the social sector. They tackle critical issues like poverty, health, education, the environment, and human rights. However, they often face challenges in reaching their goals and creating a big impact. These challenges include limited resources, complex problems, diverse stakeholders, and changing circumstances.

To overcome these challenges, many NGOs and NPOs team up with other organizations, such as government agencies, private businesses, academic institutions, and other civil society groups. Partnerships can bring more funding, expertise, networks, and opportunities for innovation and learning. Yet, these partnerships need to be well-managed, responsible, clear, and long-lasting.

PREVIEW:

I. Understanding Partnership Governance

II. Importance of Sustaining Outcomes

A. Case Study: Successful Partnership Governance

III. Best Practices for Effective Partnership Governance

A. Open Communication

B. Shared Goals and Objectives

C. Regular Evaluation and Feedback

IV. The Future of Partnership Governance

Understanding Partnership Governance

Partnership governance refers to the set of rules, processes, structures, and relationships that guide the decision-making and actions of the partners involved in a collaborative initiative. Partnership governance covers aspects such as:

• The vision, mission, values, and objectives of the partnership
• The roles and responsibilities of each partner
• The communication and coordination mechanisms among partners
• The resource allocation and management among partners
• The monitoring and evaluation of the partnership performance and outcomes
• The Conflict resolution and risk management among partners
• The review and adaptation of the partnership over time

Partnership governance is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It depends on the context, nature, scope, and stage of the partnership. Various partnerships need various levels of rules and flexibility in how they're managed. A short-term project partnership might keep things simple and informal, while a long-term strategic alliance may need more complex governance.

Importance of Sustaining Outcomes

NGOs and NPOs partner up to make things better for the people they're helping and for their causes. Outcomes mean the changes or results that happen because of the partnership's work. We measure these outcomes at levels like individuals, groups, communities, or society. Outcomes also come in short-term (quick), medium-term (middle), and long-term (long-lasting) types.

Keeping outcomes going means making sure the good changes brought by the partnership stick around or get even better over time. Sustaining outcomes is important for several reasons:

• It shows the partnership's worth and impact on the people it helps, the donors, those involved, and the broader community.
• It fosters trust, credibility, and a positive reputation among partners.
• It lets partners learn and get better, and it encourages a culture of excellence and new ideas.
• It motivates and inspires the partners to continue their collaboration and pursue their shared vision.

Case Study: Successful Partnership Governance

A successful partnership is the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH). It's a global group with over 1,000 organizations from different areas all working together to make women, children, and adolescents healthier and happier. PMNCH started in 2005 by bringing together four partnerships that used to focus on different parts of maternal and child health. PMNCH has achieved remarkable results in advancing its agenda, such as:

• Mobilizing more than $60 billion in commitments for maternal and child health from governments, foundations, corporations, civil society groups, and individuals.
• Assisting in the creation and execution of national plans and policies for maternal and child health in more than 75 countries.
• Advocating for the inclusion of maternal and child health in the global development agenda, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Generating and disseminating evidence-based knowledge and best practices for maternal and child health through research, publications, events, and platforms.

PMNCH has a robust governance structure that enables it to sustain its outcomes. Some of the key features of its governance structure are:

• A clear vision statement that articulates its purpose, principles, values, and goals.
• A diverse board that represents its members from different sectors, regions, and constituencies. The board provides strategic direction, oversight, and accountability for PMNCH.
• A secretariat that coordinates the day-to-day operations, communication, and resource mobilization for PMNCH. The secretariat is hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Working groups concentrate on different topics like accountability, advocacy, innovation, and financing. They're made up of members who give their time, expertise, and resources to help PMNCH.
• A group of partners teams up with PMNCH on a global, regional, and national scale. These partners consist of governments, UN agencies, foundations, businesses, non-profits, universities, and various community organizations.

Best Practices for Effective Partnership Governance

From looking at PMNCH and other sources, here are top practices for making partnerships work well. These can help NGOs and NPOs keep their results going strong:

Open Communication

Communication is essential for any partnership to function well. Open communication means sharing information, ideas, opinions, feedback, and concerns among the partners in a timely, honest, respectful, and constructive manner. Open communication can help partners to:

• Build trust and rapport among each other.
• Align their expectations and objectives.
• Coordinate their actions and responsibilities.
• Resolve conflicts and challenges.
• Learn from each other and improve their performance.

Some tips for improving communication in partnerships are:

• Set up regular and frequent ways to communicate, like meetings, calls, emails, newsletters, and social media.
• Use clear and simple language and avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Listen to each other and acknowledge different perspectives and experiences.
• Provide positive and constructive feedback and appreciate each other’s contributions.
• Document and disseminate key information and decisions among the partners.

Shared Goals and Objectives

Partnerships come together for a greater shared purpose beyond individual interests. This involves having clear and agreed-upon shared goals, vision, mission, values, and outcomes that steer the partnership. Shared goals and objectives can help partners to:

• Create a sense of ownership and commitment among each other.
• Focus their efforts and resources on what matters most.
• Track and measure their progress and impact.
• Celebrate their achievements and successes.
• Adapt to changing contexts and needs.

Some tips for developing shared goals and objectives in partnerships are:

• Involve all the partners in the planning and design of the partnership from the start.
• Conduct a situational analysis to identify the needs, gaps, opportunities, strengths, weaknesses, threats, and risks of the partnership.
• Use SMART criteria to create clear and achievable partnership goals and objectives.
• Match the partnership's goals and objectives with those of each partner.
• Review and revise the goals and objectives of the partnership periodically.

Regular Evaluation and Feedback

Evaluating and getting feedback are vital for partnerships to learn and do better. This involves regularly collecting, analyzing, and using data and info to see how effective, efficient, relevant, sustainable, and impactful the partnership is. Regular evaluation and feedback can help partners to:

• Identify what works well and what needs improvement in the partnership.
• Recognize the achievements and challenges of the partnership.
• Show the value and impact of the partnership to the beneficiaries, donors, stakeholders, and society at large.
• Make informed decisions and take corrective actions for the partnership.
• Foster a culture of learning and innovation among the partners.

Some tips for conducting regular evaluation and feedback in partnerships are:

• Create a plan for tracking and assessing the partnership. This plan should include things like what to measure, how to measure it, where to get data, how often to check, who's in charge, and how much it'll cost.
• Use a mix of quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (stories) data collection methods to capture different aspects of the partnership.
• Involve all the partners in the data collection, analysis, and interpretation process.
• Use participatory approaches to solicit feedback from the beneficiaries, donors, stakeholders, and other relevant parties.
• Tell all the partners what you find, suggest, and learn from the evaluation.

The Future of Partnership Governance

Partnership governance is not a static concept. It changes as time goes on, the context shifts, and new challenges come up. So, NGOs and NPOs should be ready for the future of partnership governance by looking ahead to trends, opportunities, and threats that might affect their collaboration. Some future scenarios for partnership governance could include:

• The rise of digital technologies enables more efficient, transparent, and inclusive communication, coordination, and innovation among partners.
• New types of partnerships are forming, involving a wider range of actors from various sectors and backgrounds. They bring together diverse parties with different goals, values, and cultures.
• The social sector is getting more complex and unpredictable. So, partners need governance that can adapt, flex, and stay resilient.
• Donors, stakeholders, and society want more accountability, transparency, and impact. This means partners should use more rigorous, evidence-based, and participatory evaluation methods.

Partnership governance is a critical factor for sustaining outcomes in NGOs/NPOs. By following best practices such as open communication, shared goals/objectives, and regular evaluation/feedback, NGOs/NPOs can enhance their collaboration with other organizations to achieve:

• Greater impact and value for their beneficiaries and causes.
• Stronger trust and credibility among their partners and stakeholders.
• More opportunities for learning and improvement among their partners.
• More motivation and inspiration for their partners to continue their collaboration.

Partnership governance is not a fixed or static concept. It evolves as the partnership matures, the context changes, and new challenges emerge. Therefore, NGOs/NPOs need to be prepared for the future of partnership governance by anticipating trends, opportunities, and threats that may affect their collaboration. By doing so, they can ensure that their partnerships are aligned, accountable, transparent, and sustainable.

SUMMARY:

Partnership governance is a critical factor for sustaining outcomes in NGOs/NPOs, and it can be improved by following best practices such as open communication, shared goals and objectives, and regular evaluation and feedback. Partnership governance depends on the context, nature, scope, and stage of the partnership and it evolves as the partnership matures, the context changes and new challenges emerge.

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