Tips for Successful Partnership Working
Although there are many benefits to working in partnership, it is not without its problems. These include:
- difficulty reconciling different agency’s remits
- problems with information sharing
- too many meetings
- poor lines of communication
- delays because of complicated structures
- incompatible systems. While these problems can cause CDRPs to perform less well than they are capable of, there are several
tips that can contribute to successful partnership working. The list below is based on guidance issued by the Home Office and lists factors that can help CDRPs work effectively together.
- Effective partnerships show effective leadership at all levels of the organisation. This includes the involvement of Chief Executives, elected members and other senior partners.
- Partnerships need a shared vision and commitment to improve community safety.
- A wide range of agencies must be involved and show concerted action.
- Partnerships need to have access to effective performance and project management skills.
- The CDRP needs to be adequately resourced and skilled.
- The partnership needs to have an evidence- based approach to problem solving.
- The partnership must demonstrate analytical capacity and effective data sharing. There is a needfor trained and skilled researchers and analysts in the CDRP.
- CDRP members need to show openness to good practice and new ideas. This requires aneffective communication strategy with good feedback mechanisms.
- Partnerships must demonstrate effective and ongoing engagement with the community.
- Effectiveness can be enhanced if benchmarking and twinning are used to learn lessons from partnerships elsewhere.
- Partnerships must have effective information sharing protocols in place to ensure that core and relevant data is collated and analysed.
- The partnership strategy has clear outcomes, timelines, resource allocation, review processes and responsibilities.
- There must be effective joint planning arrangements based on agreed outcome-based targets and performance indicators.
- The partnership must have a commitment to take account of the needs of all members of the community.
- There must be strong and effective communications with the community and partners.
- Partnerships should have assessment procedures and a system to monitor and review
- performance.
- Partnerships must have a willingness to consider and introduce alternatives for failing or underperforming areas or initiatives.
