Partnering is a rather different way of developing and delivering interventions for crisis response and sustainable change – so it requires us to critically review our more traditional / habitual ways of working and to push ourselves and each other to get better at ‘doing different’. And the place to start is probably with ourselves as partnership practitioners (this means anyone engaged in partnering not just those of us in management or brokering roles).
As partners, we have to learn how to be more fully engaged but at the same time more hands off, we need to de-educate ourselves and learn to be more trusting of each other, to recognise where we have held too much power and to let go of our egos that so often get in the way of our being open to real change.Practitioner from an INGO working on the DEPP programme
By undertaking a continuous self-assessment – observing how we feel, what we do and what impact we are having – we are demonstrating our commitment to learning (about ourselves) and enquiry (into what the partnership needs from us).
We say we are doing a ‘partnership’ approach, but everyone’s approach is different. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves what is it that makes us different? Maybe it’s our values? How do we know about each other’s values unless we ask?Practitioner working in SE Asia
Getting better at partnering may require some considerable shifts in mind-set and behaviour. A focus on self-assessment, commitment to learning / enquiry and being willing to change are the critical first steps towards building empathy and engagement.
The bottom line for all of us involved in remote partnering is how to support each other and promote mutual learning.Practitioner working in East Africa
Download:
Partnering Self-assessment Questionnaire (pdf)
Partnering Self-assessment Questionnaire (word)
How can we as partnership practitioners get better at understanding, challenging and changing the current constraints we face – whatever they are in our specific context and operating environment. Can we be confident enough to risk a level of breakdown in order to breakthrough to more transformative outcomes? What is needed from us to:
- Ensure we reach those we seek to help?
- Enable the partners we work alongside to do their best?
- Build and maintain the partnership as a whole?
- Change restrictive systems?
- Impact policy?
- Achieve greater reach, influence and impact?