Partnership Field Guide

This guide is based on CARE’s 18-month study of partnership within and outside
CARE. The study was funded by USAID and CARE’s own resources.

May 2002
This report was made possible through support
provided by the Office of Food for Peace, US
Agency for International Development under the
terms of CARE’s Institutional Support
Assistance Award FAO-A-00-98-00055-00. The
opinions expressed herein are those of CARE
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
US Agency for International Development. It
may be reproduced, if credit is given to CARE.

Recommended citation:

CARE
Partnership Field Guide
Partnership and Household Livelihood Security
Unit, CARE USA
May 2002

Copies of this document can be obtained

from:

CARE USA, PHLS Unit, 151 Ellis

Street, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303-2440
Tel: 404-979-9127
Fax: 404-589-2625 or

Roger Burks
Communications Specialist
CARE USA, PHLS Unit
[email protected]
(electronic copies only)
Table of Contents
Partnership Guide 1

Introduction 1

Partner Identification: Getting the Big Picture Through Context

Analysis 2

Partner Selection: Getting Down to the Specifics 3

Getting the Partnership Started: Trust, Mutual Understanding of

the Joint Work and a Partnership Framework 5

Mutual Understanding of the Joint Work 5

A Partnership Framework 6

Making the Most of Partnership: Relationship Practices 6

Making the Most of Partnership: Technical Practices 7

Frequently Asked Questions on Partnership 9

Partnership Guide
Introduction

CARE has chosen to define partnership as follows:

Partnership is a relationship that results from putting in practice a set of principles

that create trust and mutual accountability. Partnerships are based on shared
vision, values, objectives, risk, benefit control, and learning as well as joint
contribution of resources. The degree of interdependence is unique to each
relationship, depends on context, and evolves over time.

Partnership describes the way that the parties relate to one another. It is not determined
by the structure of the relationship, which can include sub-contract, sub-grant, joint
venture, consortium or network.

CARE USA’s partnership principles are:

♦ Weave a fabric of sustainability.

♦ Acknowledge interdependence.
♦ Build trust.
♦ Find shared vision, goals, values and interests.
♦ Honor the range of resources.
♦ Generate a culture of mutual support and respect for differences.
♦ Find opportunities for creative synergy.
♦ Commit to mutual accountability.
♦ Address relationship difficulties as they occur.
♦ See partnering as continuous learning process.

Key elements of these principles involve transparency, shared governance, patience,

commitment, and flexibility to recognize and adjust to the specific context and dynamic
nature of partnership.

When to partner: 1+1=more than 2

A foundation for partnering is the belief that the partnership can achieve more than any
one organization could achieve alone.

There are, however, some conditions that are less appropriate for partnerships. These
include:

Does the situation require urgent action, such as a disaster?

Must the project work on an inflexible schedule and strict deadlines?

Does the project require specific results or outcomes that cannot vary?

Partnership Field Guide 1

However, we should not conclude that partnering is always inappropriate in disasters.

Partnership may be a way to increase local participation and control over

decision-making in an emergency.

Taking the time to do this may lead to better short-term as well as long-term
development results.

Partnerships can be the most effective way to achieve a variety of results, but they take
time to build and consolidate.

Partner Identification: Getting the Big Picture Through Context

Analysis

Identify what role local organizations and agencies already play in the development
process of their society.

Consider what role CARE might productively play.

Identify those groups whose actions are relevant to ending poverty.

Start at the household level to understand the underlying causes of poverty. Then,
analyze the social and political relationships among stakeholders.

Poverty is not just about the absence of resources and services. It is about
relationships between people and organizations at different levels in a society, and
who has the power to determine access to resources and services. To end poverty,
the nature of the stakeholders’ relationships, and how power is used in these
relationships, must change.

Using Household Livelihood Security analysis:

What are the main livelihood security problems at household level in the area?
What are the obstacles to improving household livelihood security?
What are the key leverage points, which, if addressed, will improve livelihood
security?

Moving from the household analysis to the social analysis:

Are there groups in the community that work on these livelihood security issues
or other development issues?
What do these groups say are development solutions and obstacles to those
solutions? Do these coincide with what CARE found at the household level? If
not, why not?

Partnership Field Guide 2

 How and why are these groups successful or unsuccessful in their development
activities?
Do these groups work together? If not, why not?
If there are no groups in the community working on development issues, why?
What do community residents say impedes the formation of such groups?

Moving from social analysis to political analysis:

What are the policies of the local or national government on key development
issues?
How are such policies formulated? Do communities and development groups
participate in some way? If not, why not?
Is the local or national government attempting to resolve these development
problems?
If so, what do they see as solutions? Why have these been, or not been,
successful so far?
Are there opportunities to help the government improve its development
activities? How can these opportunities be realized?
If they are not actively promoting development for poor communities now, can
they be swayed in favor of policies that help the poor? How can that best be
done? Who will government officials listen to?

The basic idea of partnering is that sustainable solutions most often lie with the decisions
made by local people and organizations.

Partner Selection: Getting Down to the Specifics

Spend time getting to know potential partners.

Try to understand:

Have they successfully implemented any development projects?

How many technically prepared staff do they have?
Can they administer projects well?
Can they handle project finances and report adequately?
How are they funded? Is funding the central motivation for partnering with
CARE? Would they value a relationship that is not based mainly on funding?
Do they operate with openness and transparency?
Do they have the confidence of the communities they serve or wish to serve?
How do they handle gender and diversity in their group?
Does the group have a similar work-style to CARE? Is their organizational
culture similar to CARE’s?
Do they provide services that are critical to household livelihood security or
address underlying causes of poverty?
Do they work in the same or complementary technical areas as CARE?
Do they work in geographic areas in which CARE works or wants to work?

Partnership Field Guide 3

 Are there hostilities between certain groups or among many of them? If so, why
is this the case?
Do they have any political affiliations or are they closely associated with one
group (especially a group controlling power)?

To assess the institutional capacity of each potential partner requires an investment of

time. But it is a critical step to identifying good partners. It is recommended that CARE
apply one of the many organizational capacity assessments tools.

CARE India advises its staff to do a self-examination to ensure that the selection process
is carried out effectively.

SELF ANALYSIS

Ask yourself-

♦ Do I have the needed skills to put others at ease while

conducting interviews and facilitating working group
meetings?
♦ Am I tactful enough to be able to bring up organizational
weaknesses soon after my first meeting with an
organization, if necessary?
♦ Am I willing to allow my partner to evaluate the institutional
capacity of CARE and to accept the opinion of my partner
about CARE's organizational weaknesses?
♦ As a principle will I revisit my decisions if the partner NGO
suggests an alternative approach or will I pressure the NGO
to implement my ideas?
♦ Am I ready to enter into assessment process with an attitude
of learning and exploration and continue with this attitude
throughout the partnership?
♦ How comfortable am I working as a member of the team?

In sum, CARE is seeking evidence that:

1) The partnership can achieve more than either organization can achieve alone;
2) The potential partner has a similar or complementary mission to CARE’s;
3) CARE and the potential partner can work in a mutual relationship and together
apply partnering principles; and
4) The potential partner has the capacity to carry out the intended project or can
increase its capacity to do so with assistance from CARE.

Partnership Field Guide 4

We are looking for:

Relevant organizations
Capable Organizations (or ones that have potential)

Three other key factors affect selection of a partner:

Institutional Commitment: The leadership of the CARE Country Office and its partner
organization must be fully committed to partnership.

Staff Compatibility: Staff of both organizations must be willing to share decision-

making, investments of money and people, risks, rewards and credit with this partner.

Similar Values: Both partners must hold similar values including respect, tolerance,
fairness and honesty. These values must be reflected in their work styles.
Organizational cultures should comparable.

Getting the Partnership Started: Trust, Mutual Understanding of the

Joint Work and a Partnership Framework

A written agreement—usually a memorandum of understanding (MOU)—is the key

output of this process.

Building Trust

Be clear on what the idea of partnership means to each organization.

Make the expectations of each organization for the partnership explicit.
Honestly discuss differences in power, resources, and influence.
Reach a common vision of the partnership.
Follow through on commitments in a timely fashion.

Mutual Understanding of the Joint Work

Assess the needs of the target population;

Jointly design a project that meets those needs or enables the community to meet
its own needs;
Seek additional resources for the project with proposals to donors or through
community support;
Assign and/or train staff to carry out the work.

Partnership Field Guide 5

Jointly agree:
A project and its objectives.
The project’s needs for funding, other resources and staffing.
Responsibility for relations with communities and local government, reporting to donors,
and project administration.

Jointly define and assign:

Roles and responsibilities for all activities.

Put all agreements in writing.

A Partnership Framework

This is an agreement on what and how to work together. This will include:

Decision-making
Communications
Conflict resolution
Financial accountability
Administrative responsibility
Reporting to the community or constituency
Sustainability, the post-project continuation of activities.

All of these matters should be covered in a memorandum of understanding, or

MOU, which is carefully negotiated by CARE and its partner.

Making the Most of Partnership: Relationship Practices

Partnerships require:

Respect and Mutual Learning

CARE staff should show that they understand and respect the role that the partner plays
in its context.

They should treat partner staff as colleagues and equals.

Trust and Transparency

To build trust, CARE’s words and actions must be consistent with its mission.

Decision-making must be entirely transparent, particularly with regard to budget and

finances.

Communications
CARE must communicate openly, clearly and regularly with partners.

At the same time, staff must be tactful. It is not just what staff says, but how they say it.

Partnership Field Guide 6

Making the Most of Partnership: Technical Practices

Process Orientation and Flexibility

Two key factors in successful partnering are attention to process and flexibility.

If CARE staff value the output of a project more than the quality of the relationship with
the partner, the partnership is less likely to endure and succeed.

Attention to how things are done is as important as what is done.

Partnerships evolve and CARE must have the flexibility to change course in the
partnership.

Capacity Building: Technical skills or institutional strengthening

Capacity building is often confused with partnership. It is different.

Capacity building is an ongoing process in which a person, an organization or a society

expands its ability to achieve its purposes.

Capacity building involves more than training. It is closer to nurturing, that is, helping
an organization to increase its own capacity. CARE cannot “give” capacity to another
organization; the organization must seek capacity to tackle greater challenges.

Tailored Training
CARE will need to develop tailored training for its partners. A “one-size-fits–all”
approach does not produce the best results.

Mutual Learning
Regularly ask the questions:

What did we do well together?

What could work better?
How can we improve?

As learning takes place, CARE and its partners may want to change the project to reflect
how they can work together more effectively.

Limited Grants or Financial Support

It is better for CARE to offer limited financial support and greater technical support to
its partners.

Bring real value to the partner’s efforts—through technical assistance, training,

mentoring and joint learning projects—rather than just providing funding.

Partnership Field Guide 7

 Seek partners that are interested in technical assistance as much or more than
funding.
Use small grants and increase grant size, if needed, when the partner can
demonstrate adequate management of finances.

Financial Monitoring
CARE must walk a fine line between financial monitoring of a partner—a policing
role—and being supportive of its partner for capacity building.

Start with an assumption of good faith, but be alert to evidence of bad faith.

Don’t over police the partner.

Use outside auditors and help the partner build the capacity to manage project
funding.
When trust is broken, act promptly and fairly.

Facilitators and Capacity Builders: Fund Raising, Technical Assistance and

Networking

CARE is learning how to help others effectively deliver services and work to end
poverty.

Learn where to find good training—inside or outside CARE.

Provide contacts with donors and fund raising assistance and training.
Help partners to network with local and international organizations.
Build bridges between partners and local or national government.

Limited Time Frame

Avoid creating dependency.

Define a specific period of time for the partnership.

Mutually agree on a process for closure of the partnership.

Partnership Field Guide 8

Frequently Asked Questions on
Partnership
1. If partners can implement projects, what value added is CARE?

CARE provides real value to its partners by sharing its knowledge and experience.
CARE’s value added is in:
Knowing how to identify the key development problems and having a variety of
technical solutions to those problems;
Knowing how to find the training that will build the capacity of partners in
technical areas as well as in organizational development;
Being able to provide some funding and training for the partner in how to seek
its own funding;
Assisting the partner to learn how to manage project finances efficiently;
Acquainting the partners with other international and national organizations, and
helping to create a network for sharing lessons.

Many local partners struggle not just with funding but also with legitimacy. Partnering
with CARE can help a local organization to be seen as credible.

2. Will partnerships mean that funding for CARE Country Office shrinks
and jobs are lost?

CARE USA has specifically been using partnership as a key approach to programming
since 1997, and it has not been the cause of any loss of funding. During the last several
years, partnership has been advocated strongly by many donors around the world, and
they have been willing to fund partnership programs.

What is true is that partnership requires staff to have a skill set that works well for
relationship building. These skills include good communications, conflict resolution,
interpersonal and cultural sensitivities, organizational development and mentoring.
Many of CARE’s current staff have these skills. Others may feel they need to acquire or
strengthen such skills. CARE will seek to help them to do so, and will also need to seek
these skills in its new recruits.

3. If CARE can implement a project better than a partner organization,

should CARE be the implementer? Isn’t that the best way to contribute to
development?

CARE typically gets funding for projects that last between three and five years. While
CARE may do a very good job of implementing a project during that time, the project is
more likely to have long lasting benefits when CARE works with a local partner. The
partner will be there longer, and has a greater stake in seeing the long-term benefits of
development in their communities.

Partnership Field Guide 9

CARE’s contribution to sustainable development will be greater by having helped a
partner to be able to carry out projects after CARE leaves and over the long term.

4. Doesn’t working with local organizations, which have little capacity or

funding, take more time than it is worth?

Partnerships can be more costly than traditional sub-contracting or just institutional

collaboration. They take more time to build and to maintain than other kinds of inter-
institutional relationships. However, local organizations provide CARE with contextual
knowledge and important local ties to communities. The investment in the partnership
also pays off over a far longer time than just a project-by-project collaboration. The
learning is deeper—and it is mutual.

CARE International’s vision is that the organization is a global “partner of choice.”

CARE must learn how to do this. Knowing how to partner well--and truly being the
partner of choice--could mean that CARE will acquire a competitive advantage when it
seeks funding for partnership programs.

5. Should we engage in partnerships that transcend a project and are more

like strategic alliances for the Country Office?

Given that the investment required by partnership is significant in terms of time and
resources, strategic partnering would provide CARE Country Offices long-term benefits
from that investment. This type of strategic partnership is particularly good for
emergency situations, as it is difficult to establish a partnership when an emergency
strikes. If a strategic partnership between CARE and another organization already exists,
then it possible for CARE to work with partners to respond to an emergency situation.

CARE Country Offices may, thus, wish to consider long-term strategic alliances if the
appropriate partner exists. In this instance, it is recommended that they first experiment
with a shorter-term partnering project before entering a long-term alliance.

6. How can we enter into equal partnerships with organizations that are
clearly smaller and less experienced than CARE?

CARE cannot end poverty by working alone. That job will take the efforts of many,
many organizations and millions of people. CARE staff must respect all those who are
working toward ending poverty. We, thus, cannot fulfill CARE International’s vision as
a partner of choice through “command and control” relationships.

While the reality is that CARE may be a larger and richer organization than most of its
local partners, this does not mean that CARE can be arrogant. Such an attitude is
contrary to CARE’s values and mission. A more equal partnership is one in which the
contributions of each partner are valued and respected. Both partners must believe that
they can achieve more together than either one could do alone.

Partnership Field Guide 10

7. Am I going to be held responsible for the mistakes of CARE’s partners?

A good partnership is built on mutual accountability. CARE itself is not infallible, and
sometimes CARE partners will have to account for CARE’s mistakes to their
constituencies.

If a CARE partner has made a mistake, this could represent a learning opportunity—
assuming that the mistakes were made honestly or from a lack of capacity to properly
manage a project or project resources. For the partner, the learning will be in how to
improve its capacity to manage a project or project resources, while for CARE the
learning will be in how to monitor the partner better and provide the support needed to
prevent mistakes.

If CARE staff detect that the partner is dishonest, they should immediately consult with
senior Country Office managers. It is important for staff to voice any unease. The
matter may be a misunderstanding that can be cleared up quickly or it may require a
proper investigation.

Partnership Field Guide 11