What do we know about sustaining effective partnerships?

Once your partnership is off the ground, collaboration across organizations is on-target, and programs and activities are being discussed and launched, how do you keep the momentum going? This section describes the foundation you need to keep that momentum going and supplies concrete strategies that can be incorporated into partnership maintenance activities.

Guiding principles for sustaining partnerships

• Create a shared vision, mission statement, and goals and plans. Acknowledge that these tasks will need to be revisited as the partnership fulfills desired outcomes.
• Have realistic expectations from all partners.
• Establish long- and short-term goals with achievements all can share. Build on your successes as you strive to achieve the next set of goals.
• Examine the community's strengths, not just its needs.
• Recognize that many programs promote the growth of healthy young people, and that programs working together can make a tremendous impact.
• Involve residents from the very beginning of the partnership. The community needs to have substantial input into the assessment process, the selection of priority issues, and program content and methodology.
• Work to gain a real understanding of, and respect for, the community's beliefs and experiences. Spend time with residents, ask questions, and use key informants to learn more about the community. Build trust before taking on highly controversial issues. Engage all sectors of the community.
• Have respect for each member's personal and professional obligations.
• Provide time for meaningful discussions so that all people feel they are being heard. Respond actively to all concerns and determine what needs to be done.
• Establish clear communication. Use straightforward, culturally appropriate, meaningful language—not jargon—in all materials.

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