Re freshing our approach to partnerships

1. Refreshing our approach to partnerships Brendan Bain, Director, CHART Regional Coordinating Unit The University of the West Indies

2. PARTNERSHIPS • Some are well planned in advance (cf. arranged marriages in some cultures) • Some are based on careful compatibility assessment (e.g. e-harmony)

3. PARTNERSHIPS • But sometimes… • we are thrown into partnerships!

4. The pathway • Before the partnership • Seeing the possibility • Agreeing to begin • Voluntary versus instructed • Planned versus ‘happenstance’ • The actual initiation • Maintenance • Ending • Planned versus unplanned • Agreeable versus disagreeable

5. effective partnerships P R O C E S S COMMUN I CAT I ON The agreement (guidelines; ground rules) Getting acquainted (on-going) Work plan Achievement of purpose

6. effective partnerships Report from a Consultation at the School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, South Africa (6 - 7 April 2004) • Are • well defined and have a clear and manageable focus • characterized by excellent communication • Make relevant staff development and training… central • Optimize the use of local resources, expertise and budgets to ensure sustainability • Maximize.. guidelines and promotion of transparency and accountability

7. Establishing and maintaining effective partnerships requires Report from a Consultation at the School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, South Africa (6 - 7 April 2004) • (ONGOING) RELEVANCE AND ADAPTABILITY • Partnerships “should support national and regional health strategies and seek to strengthen existing regional organizations and professional associations”

8. Establishing and maintaining effective partnerships requires Report from a Consultation at the School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, South Africa (6 - 7 April 2004) • PREPARATION • “Local institutions should prepare their own internal environments to engage external partnerships and use them strategically”

9. Establishing and maintaining effective partnerships requires Report from a Consultation at the School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, South Africa (6 - 7 April 2004) • MONITORING AND EVALUATION WITH FEEDBACK AND ADJUSTMENT • “Partnershipsshould be monitored routinely and evaluated regularly using appropriate indicators, yet they should have sufficient flexibility to respond to a dynamic and rapidly changing environment”

10. CONTINUING TO BUILD BRIDGES

12. Caribbean consortium • Is this the same as the Caribbean Health Learning Network? • If not, is there a relationship between CC and CHLN?

13. Between tertiary level institutions and Government Ministries • MOUs –pros and cons • Clarification of purpose, personal and institutional agendas, roles, responsibilities, expectations • Remember whom we serve together • the “community”, individually and collectively, is the final beneficiary of our work • The challenge of staff turnover • The challenge of political changes • Time management – a factor of “SMART” planning and structure

14. Bridges between tertiary level institutions and… • Other Government Ministries • Associations of health professionals • Non-traditional health workers • Our communities

15. End of presentation Thank you