Literacy Basics - Employment Ontario

Partnership Agreements

Throughout the module, we have emphasized the importance of having some type of written agreement in place. Partnership agreements have been shown to be effective, and Community Literacy of Ontario's research into effective partnerships revealed that those who did not have them wished they did, and those who did have them were extremely glad they did. An agreement makes it clear who does what and when and may help avoid conflicts down the road. It can be a formal document, but it doesn't have to be. The important thing is that whether it is called a contract, a memorandum of understanding, a partnership agreement or any other similar term, that it clearly lays out the following:

• An overall statement of agreement
• The purpose and goals of the partnership, including timeframes and anticipated outcomes
• Partnership activities
• Areas of joint responsibility
• Areas of individual responsibility including management of funds (in partnerships that involve funding)
• Contributions from each partner (financial, physical and human resources)
• An evaluation plan including performance measures based on agreed-upon outcomes
• Reporting arrangements (i.e. who is responsible, who the partnership reports to)
• Contact names and authorized signatures for each partner agency

For an example of a partnership agreement, please see the document called ‘Sample Contract’.

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