The term, “partnership” has been used countless times that it has become a token word for some. Partnership is really more than just about working with whomever crosses our path. Partnership is a working relationship between two or more organizations working towards a common objective wherein added value and benefit are generated for all parties. This is why all truly excellent organizations plan and manage their partnerships in order to support key strategies and policies as well as ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of their operational processes. Organizations assess potential partners for the right fit, which includes asking the questions like, “Do we have shared goals? Do we complement each other? Are we going to bring out the best in each other?” The best time to ask these questions is at the very start, and the right way to ask these is with candor and transparency.

Guiding Principles of Partnership

Value-driven and Empowering Relationships

Every successful relationship is propelled by an alignment of values and mutual respect. One will be hard-pressed to find two organizations that have achieved good impact together whose belief systems and way of doing things are not at par with the other. Each side must also be generous in recognizing the other’s contribution and potential, because the truth of the matter is that one would probably not have done better without the other complementing their strengths and weaknesses. One such example is Save the Children Philippines’ partnership with the Tribal Leaders Development Foundation, Inc. (TLDFI) in the SOCKSARGEN area. TLDFI is well known for implementing solid programs on environmental conservation, livelihood development, and provision of social services. However, their reason for being includes that of fighting for the dignity of the person, including children, and providing honest and committed service to their stakeholders. Because of this alignment of values, the partnership is bound to prosper once nurtured. Through their partnership with Save the Children, TLDFI now looks forward to enhancing their child protection policies and programs. Meanwhile, Save the Children has gained a valuable ally and advocate for child right issues in the region.

Transparency & Accountability

Partnerships are built on trust and the honesty and openness that strengthens it. When both sides are willing to be transparent and share information, communication remains dynamic. This helps assure that all actors are accessible and can be held accountable for their actions and can be relied on to do their tasks according to what they committed to the partnership. This is the best time to lay it all on the table and clarify the roles and responsibilities of each organization, and how a culture of transparency and openness can be fostered. One such example is a recent potential partner who has the capacity to help deliver and monitor programs and projects being implemented with a child-led organization in Cavite. During the partnership assessment process, all accountabilities between Save the Children, the child-led organization and their organization were laid down clearly. This led the organization to reflect on their current capacities and helped identify gaps in their organizational structure and financial processes they need to address to be able to fulfill their responsibilities in the project. Their top official then shared that the assessment process is a helpful tool for them to measure their organization against a global standard which will invariably help them strengthen their ability to link with other partner organizations and donors.

Mutual Benefit

A sustainable partnership is one where those expected to contribute shall derive added value for each of their organization. At the end of the day, the partnership should also be practical. Will it sustain my organization? Will we learn from it? Will we gain credence and legitimacy in our field because of it? People often shy away from these questions thinking it is self-serving. But Partnerships are really done out of necessity more than anything else. Recently Save the Children’s Western Visayas Program Office and the micro-finance and lending institution Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc. (TSKI) held a mid-year review and transition planning activity to assess the project entitled Building Sustainable Livelihood and Resilient Communities. The program’s goal is to enable typhoon Ketsana-affected households to protect and restore their livelihoods without having to employ harmful coping strategies; and to expand and diversify livelihood strategies that build resilience within vulnerable households and communities to future hazards. This includes interventions on cash grants, financial literacy and basic business skills. TSKI was straightforward in stating that they chose to partner with SCP because: 1) They want to gain the child-rights perspective about how they do their work, and 2) they are confident that helping families become more financially literate and gain business skills will help them gain more members with less risks of failing capitals. Partnerships just make good business sense.

These three principles are just the foundation of the many other reasons why partnerships in development should be a priority strategy. There are things one organization can do alone, but it is only in working together will we have a chance to scale up our achievements, and gain breakthroughs in realizing children’s rights. Perhaps it is high time that we get out of our comfort zones and ask ourselves who we should partner with to complement and further enhance our strategies.  If we truly want to achieve our breakthroughs of helping every child survive, learn and be protected, we should leave our reluctance behind and discover how we could work with others to achieve the change we want to see.

To learn more about Partnerships and the Partnership Assessment Tool, visit the following pages:

https://partnership.scphilippines.net/foundation-of-partnership/definition-approach-principles

https://partnership.scphilippines.net/partnership-cycle/forming-partnership/with-fund-transfer