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Partnerships Toolkit

a toolkit created as a result of the Libraries' strategic plan

Introduction

This toolkit was created by the Meaningful Partnerships working group of the 2021-2022 Strategic Plan. It is intended to serve as a resource for library staff who have formed informal partnerships within the Libraries and on campus. Best practices outline priorities and strategies for successful partnerships. Workflows outline the paths available to creating a mutually beneficial partnership. Evaluation tools provide a variety of options for evaluating and adapting your partnership as needed. Finally, share your partnership with the community by adding it to the Current Library Partnerships spreadsheet.

Four office workers fist bump in the shape of an X to illustrate partnership

Best practices

  • Define Roles & Tasks

    • Partnerships depend on trust and accountability
    • Develop a Memo of Understanding 
    • Define deliverables
    • Work with partner to define what is “mutually beneficial” and equitable

  • Establishing criteria

    • Ensure that the goals, mission, and values of the partner organizations are compatible
    • Agree on Outcomes
    • Outcomes align with goals, mission or strategic plan of any partner organization, department or individual 
    • Overlapping sense of mission and community between the partner organizations (to ensure success)

  • Evaluating the partnership

    • Assign metrics to deliverables (or key moments of success)

Placing less emphasis on…

…And more emphasis on

Defining the right business arrangement

Developing the right working relationship

Creating ends metrics

Creating means metrics

Eliminating differences

Embracing differences

Establishing formal alliance management systems and structures

Enabling collaborative behavior

Managing the external relationship with partners

Managing your own internal stakeholders

source: https://hbr.org/2007/11/simple-rules-for-making-alliances-work

  • Last Updated: Jun 30, 2022 8:38 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.lib.miamioh.edu/partnerships
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