Designing an Effective Knowledge Partnership Process

Olivier Serrat

2017

The Partnership Ideal

A partnership is a dynamic relationship pursuing—in varying degrees of formality—a joint purpose or goal through shared understanding of the most rational division of labor based on the comparative advantages of each partner.

A partnership balances organizational identity and mutuality in a reciprocal framework of respect, decision-making, accountability, and transparency.

Activities of Partnerships

Capacity Building & Training

Cofinancing

Conferences, Seminars, & Workshops

Evaluation

Information Exchange

Policy Dialogue

Projects Publications

Research Secondment

Staff Exchange

• Filter

• Amplify

• Invest and provide

• Convene

• Build community

• Learn and facilitate

Specific functions of knowledge partnerships, not necessarily mutually exclusive, are to:

Six Partnership Principles

Make out and celebrate the need for partnership

Develop and maintain clarity and realism of joint purpose or goal

Ensure ownership and commitment

Create and maintain clear and robust partnership arrangements

Establish and continuously fortify trust

Monitor, measure, and learn

Case Study: Knowledge Sharing for Development

The Sustainable Development Goals—officially known as Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—were approved on 25 September 2015 by the 194 Member States of the United Nations. They give the lion's share of attention to partnering. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) binds the 16 other goals, aiming to "strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development“. It recognizes that multi-stakeholder partnerships are important vehicles across capacity building, finance, systemic issues, technology, and trade.

In June 2015, in advance of the expected approval of the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations called an expert group meeting on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in the Post-2015 Development Era: Sharing Knowledge and Expertise to Support the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Case Study: Knowledge Sharing for Development

A background paper (UN-DESA, 2015) reviewed 64 grand global, specialized global, independent global, regional, national, and subnational partnerships.

The bulk (82%) of the partnerships was engaged in sharing news on the topic of the partnership.

Only half (51%) shared information about what the other partners were doing.

Two-thirds (60%) went beyond news to provide in-depth reports, studies, and other analysis-related knowledge.

Less than one-third (28%) offered active skill- or capacity-building (knowledge transfer) services of any kind.

A few gave access to statistical databases (9%), registries of commitments (3%), or specialized knowledge-sharing tools such as software applications or diagramming platforms (3%).

Partnership reports on "usage" concentrated on website visitors, document downloads, course participants, Facebook posts and "likes", etc.

A knowledge partnership places a particular emphasis on the role of knowledge in accomplishing a joint purpose or goal.

A knowledge partnership involves generating and sharing of new ideas and understanding within the partnership and communicating and applying that knowledge beyond the partnership.

In a knowledge partnership as in any partnership, partners rely on the partnership to reach the joint purpose or goal.

What Are Knowledge Partnerships?

Learning in Partnerships

One-Way Learning Two-Way Learning

Assess and value partner knowledge

Determine knowledge tacitness and transferability

Forge knowledge connections

Draw on existing knowledge to facilitate learning

Designing Learning into Partnerships

Purpose/Goal

What is the partnership's value proposition?

What will it produce?

What principles will guide it?

Resources

What resources will fuel the partnership?

What contributions will members make?

What are all the possible sources of funding?

Who will manage the cash?

Membership

Who will the members be?

What are the membership criteria?

Will there be different classes of members?

What will be the obligations and benefits of members?

Governance

What decisions will need to be made?

Who will make decisions?

How will decisions be made?

A Design Checklist for Knowledge Partnerships

Structure

What will the structure of the partnership look like?

What will the partnership's development path look like?

Communications

Are open communications and information a visible indicator of the level of trust?

Is the power of information and communication technology harnessed?

Evaluation

What do the partners want to assess?

Who will conduct the evaluation?

How will the partners design evaluation at the front end?

A Design Checklist for Knowledge Partnerships

Success Criteria for Knowledge Partnerships

Informal Leadership

• Coordinators are active and committed, give space to others, act as leaders of the cause the partnership stands for, build connections, facilitate relationships, and make good use of resources.

• The partnership relies on a core group of coordinators with complementary skills and usually includes a governing committee, secretariat, and working groups.

Alignment and Identity

• The partnership connects individuals across functions, locations, and organizations and creates a third space for learning, creativity, innovation, and development of joint practice.

• The partnership fosters the emergence of collective identity among members.

• In the partnership, legitimacy is earned (meaning, not declared).

Success Criteria for Knowledge Partnerships

Resources

• Cooperation increases when the roles of individuals are sharply defined.

• The partnership is able to tap the technical expertise and professionalism of members and connects them to the joint purpose or goal that motivates them.

• The partnership offers possibilities for individuals to use their knowledge outside their organizations to create knowledge and spark energy for change that, potentially, can be used by others.

• The partnership is looked to and recognized by key stakeholders, e.g., policy makers, as a place to visit or consult for deep expertise.

• Resources come in various forms. "Sweat" equity is the key.

Success Criteria for Knowledge Partnerships

Coordination

• Coordinators are both task- and relationship-oriented.

• Coordinators focus on serving partnership members. They earn and maintain the trust and commitment of members by making sure the partnership responds to explicit—not constructed—needs.

• Coordinators create a gift culture by coaching and mentoring. They encourage activity and interaction among members of the partnership and build networks to foster a sense of community.

• Coordinators provide technical advice and scan the environment for opportunities to advance the partnership's purpose or goal and benefit its members.

Success Criteria for Knowledge Partnerships

Communication Systems

• The partnership leverages information and communication technology to facilitate rapid and broad-based interaction among members.

• The partnership strengthens and supplements online communications with face-to-face interactions.

Adaptive Capacity

• The partnership invests in information and communication technology, relies on information exchanges to gather intelligence from a range of sources, and establishes spaces for processing and sharing of data, information, and knowledge.

• Coordinators anticipate and act on changing circumstances.

• The partnership adjusts its working forms as needed.

Drivers of Transparency

Motive

• Experience of previous relationship

• Willingness to share knowledge

• Understanding of the importance of sharing

• Degree of familiarity with partner

• Recognition of the power of synergy

Means

• Social and cultural context (including language, customs, and organizational culture)

• Abilities and tools with which to share knowledge

• Communication capacity

Opportunity

• Embeddedness of knowledge in context-specific relationships

• Prioritization of time and creation of "space" for learning

Drivers of Receptivity

Motive

• Levels of trust (related to track record and awareness of each partner's learning strategy)

• Strength of intent to learn (related to understanding of value of new knowledge)

• Willingness to absorb knowledge

Means

• Adequacy of knowledge management architecture

• Abilities and tools with which to absorb knowledge

• Knowledge is far outside the organization's area of expertise

Opportunity• Prioritization of time and creation of "space" for

learning

Simple Rules to Make Partnerships More Effective

Defining the right arrangements

Creating "ends" metrics

Eliminating differences

Establishing formal management systems and structures

Managing the relationship with the partner

Not Just …

Developing the right working relationships

Creating "means" metrics

Embracing differences

Enabling collaborative behavior

Managing internal stakeholders

… But Also

The OECD's Development Assistance Committee's criteria for evaluating programs and projects provide a framework for designing and monitoring knowledge partnerships.

• Relevance—Examines to what extent the objectives of an intervention match the priorities or policies of major stakeholders, including beneficiaries.

• Efficiency—Assesses outputs in relation to inputs.

• Effectiveness—Examines whether outputs led to the achievement of the planned outcome.

• Impact—Assesses what changes, intended and unintended, have occurred as a result of the intervention.

• Sustainability—Looks at how far any changes are likely to continue in the longer term.

Evaluating Knowledge Partnerships

Books, Media, & Articles

Serrat, O. (2008). Creating and running partnerships. Knowledge Solutions 9. ADB. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/creating-and-running-partnerships

Serrat, O. (2009). Managing virtual teams. Knowledge Solutions 55. ADB. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/managing-virtual-teams

Serrat, O. (2009). Learning in strategic alliances. Knowledge Solutions 62. ADB. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/learning-strategic-alliances

Serrat, O. et al. (2011). Guidelines for knowledge partnerships. ADB. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/guidelines-knowledge-partnerships

Serrat, O. et al. (2012). Creating and running partnerships. ADB. Manila. [Video file]. Retrieved from vimeo.com/67184320

Serrat, O. (2012). Designing knowledge partnerships better. Knowledge Primers. ADB. Manila. www.researchgate.net/publication/266798127_designing_knowledge_partnerships_better

Books, Media, & Articles

UN-DESA. (2015). Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in the Post-2015 Development Era: Sharing Knowledge and Expertise to support the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals: Background Paper. New York.

Serrat, O. (2017). Knowledge sharing for development: Dead slow ahead?ResearchGate. www.researchgate.net/publication/314255768_knowledge_sharing_for_development_dead_slow_ahead

Presentations

Britton, B. and Serrat, O. (2013). Learning in partnerships. SlideShare. www.slideshare.net/celcius233/learning-in-partnerships

Serrat, O. (2014). Essentials of knowledge partnerships. SlideShare. www.slideshare.net/celcius233/essentials-of-knowledge-partnerships

Serrat, O. (2015). Building strong, virtual teams. SlideShare. www.slideshare.net/celcius233/building-strong-virtual-teams

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