If you would like to jot down your ideas on these questions, turn to Worksheet 2 at the back of the manual.

Table 2 on the following page summarizes the reasons given by five family literacy practitioners for seeking community partners. The information was collected during FLAG interviews in 1995.

Important considerations
Before initiating the process of finding and developing partnerships, consider the following issues and weigh their importance. (Adapted from the Partnership Resource Kit 1995.)

Financial considerations
Funding acquired through partnerships may have to be divided among different programs. Also, funding allocated may be less than requested, with implications for your program.

Also consider what financial resources will be needed to identify and contact potential partners, and to facilitate the development of the partnership.

Bear in mind, however, that partnerships may open doors to funding that individual programs and agencies might not be able to access.

Human resource considerations
Although partnerships may eventually offset your workload, facilitating the development of a partnership is time- and energy-consuming. Is this a realistic undertaking, and is it the right time for it?

Once the partnership is established, much of its operations will be conducted through consensus and shared decision making. Research shows, however, that partnerships function best with one strong leader. Will your organization be able to provide that leadership, at least until the partnership has coalesced and a leader can be chosen by the group? Or can you work through the leadership of another group (such as the local library board)?

Training
Training and development may be required to give partners the necessary skills and framework for success. Are you willing and able to identify and invest in appropriate resources for effective partnership development?

Fox and Faver ([1984] in Hord [1986]) divide the costs of collaboration into two categories: process costs and outcome costs. Process costs include time for negotiation and communication; expenses such as telephone, mail, and travel; and the personal investment necessary to sustain the partnership. Outcome costs include possible delays; evaluation problems and allocation of project credit; and possible quality loss.