Partnership Working

Social partnerships: Practices, paradoxes and prospects of Local Learning networks

by Terri Seddon

Reference: Seddon, T. Clemans A. and Billett, S. 2005 Social partnerships: Practices, paradoxes and prospects of LLEN. Australian Education Researcher 32 (1), pp. 25-48

This paper discusses the formation, character and contradictions of social partnerships. We report on a specific... more This paper discusses the formation, character and contradictions of social partnerships. We report on a specific initiative, the Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLEN) established by the Victorian Government in Australia in 2001, documenting the nature of this initiative and how it is playing out. We draw attention to some of the tensions that exist between different agencies, including different agencies within government. Through this detailed case study it is possible to identify parallels between LLEN and other social partnership initiatives developing in other parts of the world. This process of situating a specific Australian partnership within the wider trend to social partnerships permits a more contextualised analysis. It shows the way social partnerships are developing as a consequence of education reform shaped by neo-liberal governance and various patterns of compliance and resistance to this political rationality.

Research Education: Whose space for learning?

by Terri Seddon

Reference:

Doecke, B and Seddon, T. 2002 Research Education: Whose Space for Learning? Australian Education Researcher 29 (3), pp.85-100

Recent changes in the funding of research degree programs in Australia have had an impact on the way research students... more Recent changes in the funding of research degree programs in Australia have had an impact on the way research students are prepared and licensed as researchers. In particular, the design of programs must now address issues of student progress, support and pacing in order to access funding for timely completions. In a sense, the social space within which research training has traditionally been addressed is being reconfigured through the application of funding levers, coupled with increased reporting procedures relating to a specified set of research outcomes. This paper draws on recent theorising of social space in order to investigate the scope and character of this reconfiguration. We argue that research education remains a complex and contested zone despite the pressures of neo-liberal globalisation to impose a model of research in its own image.

Mapping synergy and antagony in North–South partnerships for health: a case study of the Tanzanian women's NGO KIWAKKUKI

by Hope Corbin

Co-authored with Maurice Mittelmark and Gro Th. Lie

North–South partnerships for health aim to link resources, expertise and local knowledge to create synergy. The... more North–South partnerships for health aim to link resources, expertise and local knowledge to create synergy. The literature on such partnerships presents an optimistic view of the promise of partnership on one hand, contrasted by pessimistic depictions of practice on the other. Case studies are called for to provide a more intricate understanding of partnership functioning, especially viewed from the Southern perspective. This case study examined the experience of the Tanzanian women's NGO, KIWAKKUKI, based on its long history of partnerships with Northern organizations, all addressing HIV/AIDS in the Kilimanjaro region. KIWAKKUKI has provided education and other services since its inception in 1990 and has grown to include a grassroots network of >6000 local members. Using the Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning, the experience of KIWAKKUKI's partnership successes and failures was mapped. The findings demonstrate that even in effective partnerships, both positive and negative processes are evident. It was also observed that KIWAKKUKI's partnership breakdowns were not strictly negative, as they provided lessons which the organization took into account when entering subsequent partnerships. The study highlights the importance of acknowledging and reporting on both positive and negative processes to maximize learning in North–South partnerships.

A Model of Transformative Collaboration

by Ann Swartz

Co-authored with Jacqlyn Triscari

Abstract

Two collaborative writing partners sought to deepen their understanding of transformative learning... more Abstract

Two collaborative writing partners sought to deepen their understanding of transformative learning by conducting several spirals of grounded theory research on their own collaborative relationship. Drawing from adult education, business, and social science literature and including descriptive analysis of their records of activity and interaction throughout a writing project, this article exhibits a comprehensive model of collaboration that integrates both transformative learning and dynamic/complex adaptive systems perspectives.

Partnership action for continuing employment (PACE): towards a future delivery model.

by Matthew Dutton

Working together? Research into the role of inter-agency co-operation in improving employability

by Matthew Dutton

Institutional Change, Partnership and Regional Networks: Civic Engagement and the Implementation of the Structural Funds in Poland

by Marcin Dabrowski

Dabrowski, M., 2010, Institutional Change, Partnership and Regional Networks: Civic Engagement and the Implementation of the Structural Funds in Poland, in N. Adams, G. Cotella, R. Nunes, eds. Territorial Development, Cohesion and Spatial Planning Knowledge and policy development in an enlarged EU, Routledge

Europeanizing sub-national governance: partnership in the implementation of EU Structural Funds in Poland

by Marcin Dabrowski

Forthcoming publication in Regional Studies.

The legacy of centralism, lack of traditions in collaborative policy-making and weakly institutionalized sub-national... more The legacy of centralism, lack of traditions in collaborative policy-making and weakly institutionalized sub-national authorities prompt questions about the transferability of EU cohesion’s policy partnership principle to Central and Eastern European member states, the main recipients of cohesion funding. What is the impact of partnership at the sub-national level? What are the mechanisms of the sub-national actors’ adjustment to this EU-imposed practice and what is the scope for its institutionalization? By investigating sub-national partnership arrangements in Poland, the paper sheds light on these under-researched issues and contributes to the debate on the future of EU cohesion policy.

Keywords: EU cohesion policy, Europeanization, partnership, Poland, structural funds, sub-national authorities.

Managing Cybercafés: Achieving Mutual Benefit through Partnership

by Marcus Leaning

Co-authored with Darlington Onojaefe published in Esharenana E. Adomi, (2008) Security and Software for Cybercafes, IGI Global

This chapter offers an alternate perspective upon issues of management and security in cybercafés. Here attention is... more This chapter offers an alternate perspective upon issues of management and security in cybercafés. Here attention is placed upon the wider social environment in which the cybercafé operates and the development of ‘soft’ skills in cybercafé management in order to mitigate security risks. Three key arguments are made: first, it is noted that cybercafés offer a key means by which small business may access ICT. Second, that the relationships that cybercafés may foster are beneficial to all parties and that such relationships bring additional benefits in terms of trust and social capital. Third, that in order to develop such partnerships, new skill sets may be required.

A network approach for researching partnerships in health

by Jenny Lewis

Published in Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2005.

Partnerships, primary health care and health inequalities: problems and possibilities

by Jenny Lewis

Published in: Australian Journal of Primary Health 2004, 10(3): 38-45

The why and how of partnerships: policy and governance foundations

by Jenny Lewis

Published in: Australian Journal of Primary Health 2009, 15: 225-231

The rhetoric and reality of partnership working

by Jas Dhillon

This article presents an analysis of the policy rhetoric of partnership and the reality of the process of partnership... more This article presents an analysis of the policy rhetoric of partnership and the reality of the process of partnership working using data from a qualitative case study of a sub-regional partnership. The purpose of the partnership is to widen participation in post-16 learning in the Black Country, a part of the Midlands in England. Data collected through observation of partnership meetings, indepth interviews with members of the Partnership Board and documentary analysis provide a rich insight into the work of the partnership and the processes that have shaped its lifecycle. The findings reveal that at one level of analysis, partnership can be interpreted as a pragmatic response to New Labour’s policy initiatives in the post-16 sector of education and training but this reading of the data does not explain the ability of the case study partnership to sustain itself over a period of over five years. A deeper analysis of the stages in the lifecycle of the partnership indicates that shared goals underpinned by mutual values and trust amongst key people in the partnership constitute the ‘social glue’ that hold organizations and individuals together to provide the basis of effective and sustained partnership working.

A Comparative Study of the Leadership, Governance and Management Issues of three FE/HE Partnerships

by Katy Vigurs

Co-authored with Denise Robinson, Linda Hammersley-Fletcher and Peter Davies.

This report presents the findings of HEFCE funded research looking at the effectiveness of indirectly funded... more This report presents the findings of HEFCE funded research looking at the effectiveness of indirectly funded partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education Colleges (FECs). The purpose of this report is to establish a guide for good practice among such partnerships and to make recommendations that will support such partnerships developed through the findings from a study of three HE/FE consortia. The report is supportive of consortia partnership arrangements and has identified the following key criteria as important in promoting successful partnership practices.
• The success of consortia relies upon the whole staff taking an interest in and an ownership of their role within the partnership and drawing upon the expertise of all staff and involve everyone in ongoing reflective practices.
• Creating a culture of clear and open communication is essential if all staff are to understand and take part in partnership processes as staff must value the importance of ongoing discussions, negotiations and development to meet ever changing circumstances.
• Senior managers in particular must communicate clearly with all staff involved in the consortium arrangement. This is especially important for issues around financial arrangements which should be transparent as should the rationale that drives them.
• Institutions need to recognise the time implications for staff in developing good practices in running collaborative programmes and therefore all staff need to see clear advantages to the institutions involved when operating as a consortium.
• Quality assurance and responsibilities within this must be clear; neither should any quality process be taken for granted. It is vital to the success of the partnership that issues around maintaining good standards and improving quality are regularly reviewed.
Some of the key recommendations from this research include firstly that HEFCE adopt ‘The Guide’ (appendix 1) as an exemplar of good practice. Secondly that FE and HE staff consider the implications of running joint programmes in terms of the time needed and the opportunities offered for professional development. Thirdly it is recommended that the financial arrangements are made clear and monies distributed to allow all parties to gain benefit from them.

Theory of organisational partnerships-partnership advantages, disadvantages and success factors.

by Ronald McQuaid

Case Study of a Countywide Aimhigher Programme: Aimhigher Research Report

by Katy Vigurs

This report draws on data collected using the following research
methods:
o Interviews (nine) with key... more This report draws on data collected using the following research
methods:
o Interviews (nine) with key stakeholders including representatives at a strategic and operational level
o Visits to 2 schools in the area: an 11-18 school situated in the
coastal strip in Lincolnshire, a deprived area with very little long
term employment and an 11-16 school with a shared sixth form,
situated in an urban area. At both schools individual interviews
were held with the following: senior members of staff (4),
Aimhigher coordinators (2) and support staff (2). Group
interviews were also conducted with male and female pupils who
had taken part in Aimhigher activities: Year 10 (3), 11 (9), 12 (9),
13 (4)
o Telephone interviews (13) with parents of pupils involved in
Aimhigher activities at the 2 schools of whom were subsequently
interviewed.

The evaluation also draws on research conducted by the IAS with a further 3 secondary schools and one Pupil Referral Unit involved in the Peer Mentoring and Robot Competition initiatives. Members of the research team visited these institutions and interviews were conducted with staff members and pupils involved. Telephone interviews were also conducted with project team members involved in the Robot Competition initiative.

Due to budget constraints the case studies were restricted to 2 of the 37 schools involved in Aimhigher activities. However, it should be emphasised, that the qualitative approach used has allowed the research team to collect more in-depth and richer data from this small sample. Additional interviews with key stakeholders, as identified above, have allowed different perspectives on the programme to be explored. As a final point, it should be noted that the case studies were conducted in March 2006, and as a result some pupils would not yet have experienced all the activities.

Reconceptualising Conflict and Consensus within Partnerships: The Roles of Overlapping Communities and Dynamic Social Ties (PhD Thesis 2009)

by Katy Vigurs

Partnership is a dominant theme of public policy and service provision in England and in other western countries. It... more Partnership is a dominant theme of public policy and service provision in England and in other western countries. It is also a concept that remains relatively under-researched and under-theorised, especially with respect to conceptualising underlying relational processes that can shape conflict and consensus within partnerships.

This thesis draws on a richly textured ethnographic study, using an in-depth case study of a voluntarily-founded, network-like, cross-sectoral partnership, which aimed to develop and implement a community learning centre in the village parish of Broadley, located in the English Midlands.

The research sees fieldwork conducted over twenty-four months, using multiple methods of qualitative data-generation including the observation of partnership meetings and activities, semi-structured interviews and the collection of partnership artefacts (meeting minutes, funding bid document, emails). It presents an ethnographic view of the inner workings of one partnership and follows its entire lifecycle. This partnership was not sustained and did not realise the vision to which it aspired.

A central concern of this thesis is to investigate the development of conflict and consensus within partnership practice. The contribution of the thesis is to tease out how these elements are understood. This study challenges naive texts that prescribe simplistic, recipe-based formulas for achieving partnership success. Instead, it illustrates what can happen when partners do not develop sufficiently strong and balanced sets of social ties between one another. Consequently, this thesis sets up a new research agenda focusing more specifically on issues of community overlaps, identities and social ties.

This thesis has value in terms of providing a deeply relational account of challenges facing the development of one cross-sectoral, network-like partnership. It draws together insights from partnership literature, community literature and fieldwork, and provides a strong basis from which further research can be developed.

Community-led resettlement: From a flood affected slum to a new society in Pune, India

by Victoria Cronin

Environmental Hazards Journal, Special Issue : Shelter after disaster

This paper describes the resettlement process of a community devastated by annual floods, to newly constructed housing... more This paper describes the resettlement process of a community devastated by annual floods, to newly constructed housing in Pune, India. The relocation from Kamgar Putala slum to a housing society at Hadapsar was organized by a community-led NGO partnership in 2004. The housing development was coordinated by the local NGO Shelter Associates with significant community participation. The housing has been revisited in 2010 to evaluate the sustainability of the resettlement project's delivery model via stakeholder perception. The process of organizing for resettlement after natural disaster is described along with the implementation and evaluation of the new housing nearly six years after initial occupation. The strong partnership approach overcame a series of political and financial hurdles at various stages of the relocation project. The story of resettling Kamgar Putala is detailed alongside an outline of the current political climate for an alternative slum-upgrading policy in India and Pune. The advantages of an empowered community supported by an influential local NGO demonstrate a commendable team effort which has tackled the threat of floods. The paper highlights the merits of a community-led partnership approach to housing development for achieving sustainable urban development as well as the alleviation of poverty in a developing context.

Queering education from the ground up: challenges and opportunities for educators

by Tracy Ford

1 The theory of partnership

by Ronald McQuaid