Section: 14 of 23
Before entering in, take the time to make sure you and your organization are ready. Like any relationship, there are pros and cons. Effective partnerships do not occur overnight. It takes time to build trust and understanding of how best to work together. Developing and maintaining partnerships requires ongoing commitment and effort. It’s important to choose the right partner at the right time for both your organizations.
During your initial discussions, be open and honest about your hopes, concerns and assumptions, so you can both enjoy the benefits and minimize the risks.
| Benefits | Risks |
| Greater impact | Reputation impact |
| Greater reach | Loss of autonomy/decision making |
| Professional development of key personnel | Conflicts of interest |
| Better access to information and different networks | Burden of resource commitments |
| Improved operational efficiency | Implementation and co-ordination challenges |
| More appropriate and effective products and services | Reduction in independent decision-making |
| Greater innovation | Loss of competitive advantage in obtaining funding or providing services |
| Enhanced credibility | Insufficient influence in the partnership’s activities |
| Increased access to resources | Frustration with the collaborative process |
| New opportunities and pathways for products, services and partnerships | Unbalanced credit for contributions to the partnership |
