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Developing Partnerships

Teacher and students interacting

A partnership can be characterized by its purpose, structure, and processes—a characterization that determines its level of collaboration:

Level 1: Networking

  • Partners work to share information.
  • Partnership incorporates a flexible, nonhierarchical structure.
  • Process generates little conflict and uses informal communication channels.

Level 2: Alliance

  • Partners work to limit duplication of services.
  • A semiformal communication hub provides structure.
  • Processes include facilitative leadership and complex decision-making.

Level 3: Partnership

  • Partners work to share resources.
  • Structure includes defined roles and a central body of decision-makers.
  • Autonomous leadership uses a group decision-making process.

Level 4: Coalition

  • Partners strive to share both ideas and resources.
  • Structure includes formal, defined roles; all members are decision-makers.
  • Coalition incorporates shared leadership and a formal decision-making process.

Level 5: Collaboration

  • Partners build an interdependent system to address common goals, accomplish a shared vision, and promote systems change.
  • Structure is formal and supports consensus decision-making.
  • Formal group processes coupled with highly developed communication ensure that all ideas and decisions are equally shared.

Clearly, the fifth level of collaboration most closely reflects the SS/HS vision of combining knowledge, skills, resources, and leadership in a community collaborative approach to prevent violence and promote health. Though SS/HS partnerships may begin their grant-funded years at different levels, the most successful at sustaining their efforts are those that have reached this maximum level of working together. Developing a truly collaborative SS/HS partnership means that the partners “own” the work and they understand that this responsibility includes the following:

  • Reviewing and updating the logic model and other planning tools
  • Carrying the message of the initiative to different audiences
  • Advocating within their own agencies for the initiative’s vision, policy changes, and allocation of resources
  • Working to produce systems change supporting the initiative’s goals
  • Actively planning to sustain the initiative’s activities
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