KBC Strategic Park Partnerships

Memphis: Parks AdvocacySeptember 1, 2015

Today’s Meeting Goals

To provide a framework for park partnerships that demonstrates the range of roles that a park advocacy organization can play.

To help Memphis park advocates determine a vision and mission for park advocacy efforts in Memphis; and,

To help with guidelines for developing a partnership with the city.

A Framework for Understanding Park Partnerships

KBC Strategic Park Partnerships

Park Partnerships: What’s Shaping Them?

• public dollars for parks have decreased• there is a bigger idea of what city parks are for • good ideas come from the power of partners

KBC Strategic Park Partnerships

“Historically the tendency of government was to think it had all the answers. We defined problems and we prescribed solutions. You sent us taxes; we delivered services. But the role of government is evolving from problem-solver to partnership-builder.”

--Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia

Partnerships create new benefits for the community with assets from each partner

What Do These Partnerships Look Like?

KBC Strategic Park Partnerships

• There is no single blueprint for how this should be done; ultimately, it involves a process of social learning for the civic leadership in each city.

• A successful partnership works because the reason for it is compelling not coercive to both partners.

Public-private partnerships are agreements among multiple public and private parties to risk money, time, influence, or other assets in pursuit of joint goals.

While Partnership Models Vary, They are Distinguished by Their Relationship with Government

Three key elements of management in parks:

• the ownership of the resources • the sources of income for management• the management body

Balancing Assets and Liabilities

The Scope of Responsibility for Park Partnerships Varies

• Fundraising • Earned income • Capital projects • Maintenance and operations • Programming • Marketing and communications • Public outreach • Volunteer projects • Community engagement• Safety and security • Planning • Politics and advocacy

Operations and Maintenance

Many of the creative funding ideas out there are focused on capital projects, but just as important are those focused on generating funds to operate and care for the growing park systems.

Memphis, 1941

The Good News – You’re Not Alone

Park partnerships are occurring in an environment of growing public-private partnerships in other public activities, too—especially community development.

A new “technology” of partnerships is thus evolving, offering valuable lessons that can be applied across a variety of arenas.

Four Case Studies: Citywide Advocates

Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships

Structure

Much like most business partnerships, public-private partnerships for parks include both general partners and limited partners, each with its own set of responsibilities, strengths, and weaknesses. The general partners are typically parks agencies and nonprofit organizations that support parks. The limited partners are the various constituencies that use or support parks.

Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships

Control

In business partnerships, the general partners usually make all of the major decisions, without consulting with the limited partners. In parks partnerships, decision-making responsibility is shared more broadly: limited partners often are given a voice in decision-making in return for their support.

Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships

Assets and Liabilities

Partners bring both assets and liabilities to the partnership. In good partnerships, the assets of one partner offset the liabilities of another. In parks partnerships, assets and liabilities have to do with the partners’ financial resources, organizational capacity, public image, and constituency characteristics.

Four Considerations for Creating Park Partnerships

Risks

Parks partnerships encounter a variety of risks, but all build trust and develop a set of strategies for mitigating them.

The Most Important Goal for Getting Started is a Shared Vision

We are beginning with the belief that an important need can best be fulfilled through a partnership.

The principles for operating should be the same as those of any successful collaborative:

fairness,

transparency and,

inclusiveness