Successful partnerships : a guide

We are living in a complex society where the policy frameworks in place often seem to fall short of providing satisfying solutions to a growing number of problems. This does not necessarily mean that the frameworks as such are to be changed. As existing frameworks are a result of historic development and reflect a balance of different interest groups, they are therefore not easy to alter, and it is hard to predict whether changing a policy framework will lead to a higher level of satisfaction. But while we may have to live with given policy settings, partnerships can be a great help in improving their performance: area based partnerships provide a mechanism for local organisations, to work together and adapt policies to better reflect the needs of people and the economy at the local level.
This guide is meant to serve as a practical manual for both practitioners and policy makers involved in partnerships. It provides information on concrete aspects of partnership work, gathered from those with experience. It combines input from more theoretical academic knowledge with actual results from policy approaches. Of course, something that works in a given region will not necessarily work the same way in another one. The approaches, methods and solutions described in this manual are therefore not to be copied exactly, but have to be carefully adapted to the reality of other contexts, taking account of differences in the policy framework, the needs of the partner and the local issues to be tackled.