Principles for Success

The success of certain partnerships points to certain principles that can be applied to a wide variety of initiatives.

Successful partnerships have clear goals. Partnerships should define goals at the outset to ensure understanding among partners that will help guide the partnership through obstacles and challenges.

Successful partnerships involve families and account for their needs and preferences when developing programs and services. Families are the ultimate consumers of child care. For services to be successful, they must address their needs.

Successful partnerships are broad-based and include all stakeholders from the beginning. Partnerships are most effective when they are able to draw from a broad range of perspectives, resources and expertise. Partnerships can gain broader public and private support for their efforts through the constituencies each partner represents and supports.

Successful partnerships involve powerful champions that make their initiatives visible to the public. Success requires leaders who act as change agents by clearly communicating the goals of the partnership and building a broad base of support.

Successful partnerships aim to achieve positive results and regularly measure their progress. Measuring results regularly allows partnerships to assess what goals and strategies are achieving the intended results and what changes should be made to make the partnership more effective.

Successful partnerships establish clear governance structures that define partner roles and responsibilities. Establishing an effective governance structure is essential for the successful management of the partnership. It is equally important to define the various roles partners will play and to make sure that all the partners understand and accept these roles.

Successful partnerships set and adhere to a set of ground rules that guide the partnership in its work. Partnerships should begin with a mutually agreed on set of ground rules to help partners communicate and make decisions.

Successful partnerships are flexible, adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, and adapt to changing conditions and resources. Partnerships should have a flexible and entrepreneurial mindset that allows for change as opportunities arise that will increase the resources of the partnership.

Successful partnerships draw on the strengths and contributions of all partners and enable all partners to benefit. Each partner brings different strengths, knowledge, and resources to the partnership and sensitivity to these will cement the working relationship of the partners.

Successful partnerships work to maintain momentum and sustain their work over time. The most successful partnerships plan for how they will maintain momentum and sustain their efforts from the beginning. A shared ownership and sense of collective purpose increases the likelihood that partners will stay involved over the long run.