Brokering Better Partnerships. Ros Tennyson

Transcription

1 Brokering Better Partnerships Ros Tennyson 16 th March 2018

2 Who are you? Why are you here? What do you hope to gain from this workshop?

3 Session Outline Examine what we mean when we use the term partnership Explore partnering frameworks, challenges, skills and good practice principles Consider what it takes to partner effectively Share some ideas for action

4 Supporting Family Medicine Worldwide Our uniqueness lies in our adaptability and our partnership-based approach. We establish partnerships with key stakeholders overseas and empower these enthusiasts and change-makers to bring about sustainable change and the delivery of family medicine practice and training of the highest quality

5 What is partnership?

6 What does the term partnership convey to those who partner?

7 Partnership: A definition An on-going working relationship where risks and benefits are shared This is a dictionary definition Definition: The Oxford Dictionary

8 Does RCGP have a definition of the term partnership? Do you need one? If so, what would it be?

9 Key partnership attributes include: An agreed common purpose / shared vision Respecting partner s own (as well as shared) interests Project and action plans are co-created Partners share risks as well as benefits Commitment to mutual accountability A principled approach to working together Source: PBA Associates

10 Every partnership (and partnership project) is unique and everyone s perception of a partnership is different

11 but the partnering process seems to be genuinely universal!

12 The Partnering Cycle

13 SUSTAINING OUTCOMES Moving on Scoping needs & options Identifying potential partners SCOPING & BUILDING Scaling & increasing impact Building relationships Sharing knowledge & experience THE PARTNERING CYCLE partnering over time Mapping and planning Revisiting & revising Agreeing to partner Governance & structures REVIEWING & REVISING Reviewing efficiency & value Measuring results Delivering projects Deepening engagement MANAGING & MAINTAINING

14 Step by step to reaching agreement INTERNAL ALIGNMENT. Is there (enough) internal alignment? SHARED VISION. Can you find a shared vision with the other parties? MOTIVES. Are the different motives for partnering compatible (enough)? RESOURCES. What resources will each party bring? ACTIVITIES What. activities can be undertaken with the resources available? SUCCESS. Do the parties agree on what success would look like? COMMITMENT Are all parties ready (enough) to commit to partnering? See: BROKERING BETTER PARTNERSHIPS page 10

15 Common Partnering Constraints & Key Principles

16 What gets in the way of setting up and maintaining effective partnerships? At your table, share your experiences to date

17 In-put from the group Not identifying our partners interests and needs clearly enough Lack of equity (in terms of both planning and decision-making) Managing a partnership when level of engagement and enthusiasm is low Needing to be more flexible and willing to change A disconnect between the organisation s rhetoric about partnering and the reality Different expectations / agendas and goals of RCGP partners Lack of funding for the early partnershipbuilding phase Lack of understanding / willingness to allocate time to partnership building Need for funding is too strong a driver of current partnerships Diverse views within partner organisations The pressure of reporting requirements Lack of clarity about RCGP s own partnering objectives Too much focus on short-term deliverables too little vision Lack of alignment how does RCGP view partners, how do partners view RCGP? Misconceptions / assumptions / outdated models RCGPs heavy governance structure mitigates against innovation and flexibility Lack of coherence around the term partnership Members (50,000 GPs) are blockers to innovation Lack of trust / delegation Poor communication / reporting Not understanding the very different communication needs of different partners / stakeholders

18 Constraint: ANXIETY ABOUT DIFFERENCE Key principle: VALUING DIVERSITY (because it unlocks innovation)

19 Constraint: POWER IMBALANCE Key principle: EQUITY (because it ensures inclusivity)

20 Constraint: HIDDEN AGENDAS Key principle: OPENNESS (because it helps to build horizontal accountability)

21 Constraint: COMPETITIVENESS Key principle: MUTUAL BENEFIT (because it leads to a sustainable model)

22 Constraint: UNCERTAINTY Key principle: COURAGE (to take a lead in doing things differently)

23 Where might such CORE PRINCIPLES lead? DIVERSITY leads to NEW VALUE EQUITY leads to RESPECT OPENNESS MUTUAL BENEFIT COURAGE leads to leads to leads to TRUST COMMITMENT BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS Source: PBA

24 What skills & attributes are needed to partner effectively?

25 In-put from the group Remember you have two ears and one mouth Being a good and clear communicator Being able to be fair and maintain perspective Empathy and emotional intelligence Negotiating, navigating and influencing skills Relationship-building and maintenance skills Being willing to compromise Confidence to challenge when necessary Authenticity Curiosity Being willing to carry responsibility on behalf of the partners Willingness to be open, honest and explicit Being willing and able to compromise Solution (not problem) focused High level of administration and management skill Being directional (focused and persistent) Action oriented Capable of embedding the partnerships within partner(s) organisation(s) Being able to accommodate changes in personnel (ie partner organisations representatives changing

26 Partnering is a SCIENCE Knowledge / analysis / thinking Understanding (of the past) Administrative / technical skills Precise speaking Professional detachment Source: The Guiding Hand

27 Rene Magritte Partnering is an ART Insight / imagination / feeling Vision (of the future) People skills Active listening Personal engagement Source: The Guiding Hand

28 Time for lunch!

29 Any post-lunch reflections?

30 Common Partnering Challenges

31 SUSTAINING OUTCOMES Moving on Scoping needs & options Identifying potential partners SCOPING & BUILDING Scaling & increasing impact Building relationships Sharing knowledge & experience THE PARTNERING CYCLE partnering over time Mapping and planning Revisiting & revising Agreeing to partner Governance & structures REVIEWING & REVISING Reviewing efficiency & value Measuring results Delivering projects Deepening engagement MANAGING & MAINTAINING

32 Guy Venables Fit for purpose / fit for context governance arrangements How to ensure decision making processes are efficient and in line with good partnering practice? How to align different processes and procedures of partner organizations? How to ensure partnership systems are responsive to emerging needs and challenges?

33 Communications I am not talking to you That s OK, I m not listening Within each partner organisation; Between partners; Beyond the partnership

34 Building the capacity of partners to partner more effectively Building helpful partner behaviours, approaches, systems Growing a sense of responsibility and ownership Reducing dependency on one or two people

35 Long distance / remote partnering How to maintain relationships, solve problems and manage conflict, when no/limited opportunities for face-to-face meetings? Further materials:

36 Are these RCGP partnering challenges? Are there others? What are they?

37 Work further on a selected RCGP partnering challenge in a small group

38 Why is this issue important? What can we (and our partners) do to tackle it? Points for action

39 Challenge 1: BREAKING THROUGH THE DEADLOCK WITH MEMBERS

40 Challenge 2: DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS AND KNOWING WHEN SOME HAVE NOT FURTHER VALUE Why does this matter? Non-efficient / wasted use of limited resources (specifically money and time) Inefficiencies within the organisation Activity driven / constrained by organisational strategy Can do reputational damage Ethical considerations (esp re commercial partnerships) Public perception of RCGP via its partnerships Some partnerships take staff away from more important / more innovative work Resistance of RCGP members to new partnership ideas What can we do (with our partners) to tackle this? More robust scoping and planning at the outset More discussion around core value and strategic alignment Focus on (wider / diverse) benefits rather than simply outputs Understand and explore how best to achieve mutual accountability More effective (fit for purpose) communications and governance arrangements Deeper understanding of the needs / interests of the different stakeholders and stakeholder groups On-going evaluation of activities More regular review of the added value of the partnership Points of action Coms and governance review meetings Better partnership management approaches and principles

41 Challenge 3: STRATEGIC COHERENCE Why is this issue so important? Because: We need to have a unified vision to go into the same direction - a cart driven by a horse, a bird and a fish will go nowhere. Unified external profile - for other organisations & potential partners - easier to interact with us, they have a clearer understanding what we stand for and how they can work with us Makes management of partnership and resources which are always limited & finite easier and more efficient Points for action Influence opinions and views by defining strategic aims and the direction of travel more clearly to unify divergent internal views. Creating an appealing vision illustrated by a metaphor or visual symbol. Own it and champion it - display and promote that symbol, such as a badge, to reinforce a strong unified brand and to profile the organisation as a unified actor Better induction and sharing corporate knowledge to induct newcomers to organisational values and vision Set up an RCGP Alumni network - former employees who have moved on - to invite back for events or receive a magazine with news on what's going on. Have a dedicated Partnership Manager to work with product owner on key strategic partnerships, with regular meetings to progress actions.

42 U N P R E D I C T A B L E Knowing where things fit When complex - Hold the space for creative thinking; lack of knowing - Be alert to emergent patterns and insights When chaotic - Assist to stabilise so that the partnership has something to work with - Look for opportunities to innovate When Complicated - Assist to identify the expertise and / or training - Support the partnership to bring in the experts needed When simple / obvious - Work with the partnership to develop templates, checklists, fact sheets, guidelines as needed P R E D I C T A B L E Source: PBA adaptation of the Cynefin model

43 Making Changes & Critical Success Factors

44 What might we expect from our partnerships? ADDED VALUE Access to new resources Innovation Quality Legitimacy More integrated solutions Appropriateness Effective & efficient Implementation Scale Greater sustainability OUTCOMES (in addition to project results) Meeting individual partner s drivers / underlying interests Changes in mindsets, behaviours and relationships Partners have new capabilities ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Social capital Greater equity Technical transfer Spin off activities Wider influence on policy and practice System change Greater societal stability Learning / new knowledge

45 Is it worth it? What might we and our partners want to know? Did the project achieve its goals? Are the outcomes sustainable? Did it add value & achieve partners own goals / aspirations? Did it have wider influence & impact (on partners / sectors / policy systems / context)? Was it time / resource efficient & well managed?

46 Levels of influence through partnering LEVEL 3 CHANGING POLICY & PRACTICE And, even a small-scale partnership can provide evidence and inspiration that is transformational because it challenges and changes the rules LEVEL 2 INFLUENCING INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS & SYSTEMS However, Level 1 projects when they work well inevitably impact and influence more widely and deeply LEVEL 1 PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES Most partnerships operate at this practical level as collaborative projects and programmes of work Source: adapted from Simon Zadek

47 What will success look like going forwards for RCGP partnerships? What will it take?

48 In-put from the group 3-4 strategic global partnerships with ambitious aims and many elements working optimally A number of well established partnerships in key countries More income available to innovate and experiment and more sustainable income flow A reputation for being a good partner (partner of choice) Greater understanding from members with regard to staff competencies and innovation capacity (it is better accepted that RCGP needs to be ahead of the evidence) Staff have a higher opinion of GPs Reaching levels 2 and 3 (cf Zadek slide) influence and changing the rules of the game Eliminate duplication Joined up / aligned approach (between members, staff, programmes and Boards) Naming the range of collaborative relationships more appropriately (ie not everything is a partnership) Key relationships are genuinely coowned Communications are clear and effective

49 Partnering Critical Success Factors Approach & Principles Attitudes & Competencies Results & Productivity Efficiency & Effectiveness See: BROKERING BETTER PARTNERSHIPS page 14

50 Positioning partnerships 1. REACTIVE Partnership as a strategy to deliver projects within the framework of the existing status quo 3. TRANS- FORMATIVE Partnership intentionally created to challenge and change mainstream systems and mind-sets 2. ADAPTIVE Partnership designed to deliver development somewhat separate from, but alongside, the mainstream

51 Promoting professionalism and integrity in brokering multi-stakeholder partnerships