by: Stephanie A. Hedean
Photo Courtesy of www.ussoccer.com
I’m being tempted to write about the World Cup, when public-private partnerships are on my mind. A colleague encouraged the correlation between France’s magnificent World Cup collapse and partnerships, while another suggested I should consider the exuberant camaraderie of the Brazilian team as a prime example; still I heard yet another vote for how the USA crew pulled it together after last week’s bum call. Just the word “partnership” can mean and refer to so many different activities and relationships, each with definitions and expectations that vary depending upon what type of stakeholder you are to the partnership matrix. I’m sure that everyone rooting for France considers they are a stakeholder to the partnership that is the World Cup team, along with sponsors, and the team itself.
In the global health non-profit sector, the stakeholder contingents are enormous as we deal with billions of individuals impacted by the causes we pursue, governments and a vast universe of public and private organizations and individuals that are engaged in some way. With so many dynamics in play, how do we go about crafting partnerships that provide for meaningful strategic results based on the fundamental needs of the partners and stakeholders? Now that could be a long discussion.
Let’s start with the “what does it mean to me” test. To create meaningful partner programs, we need to look beyond our own core objectives and shine the light on what that partnership, project, or program fundamentally means to our potential partners and group of stakeholders. And we need to hold ourselves accountable for creating outcomes that work best to satisfy the needs of all parties (within reason is my only caveat) or reevaluate the synergy of the match.
When pursuing partnerships with the private sector we need to have a pretty cohesive understanding of the strategic business interests and success metrics of our partners. Sure, there’s a need and a want to do good, but it’s not really about philanthropy. Our job is to understand what they need to accomplish – increasing shareholder value, growth into new markets, stabilization of an employee base, sourcing resources, branding or pr – in addition to any cause-related goals they may have. So the next time you’re developing a partnership idea or submitting an RFP, think about the other guy’s shoes and ask “what does it mean to me.”
Stephanie Hedean is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. She is also an avid biker, who enjoys biking all over Washington, D.C. with her fellow cyclists.
