Literacy Basics - Employment Ontario

EMPLOYMENT ONTARIO

Creating Successful Partnerships

Creating a successful partnership is not as easy as simply agreeing to work together. It takes planning and thought so that all partners are aware of and agree upon their roles and responsibilities, what the partnership is designed for and the client-centric goals you will be working towards.

Community Literacy of Ontario suggests thinking about the following questions before entering into a partnership to help you determine potential successes or difficulties.

Are the potential partner organizations compatible? Are you working towards a common vision or outcome for clients?
Will this partnership be ongoing or for a specific time only?
What resources, skills and expertise does each partner bring that will improve client service? Are there any gaps? Is there duplication?
How will these resources, skills and expertise be used to benefit clients?
What are the benefits for each potential partner and its clients?
Will each potential partner assume equal responsibility or will it vary and if so, how will that be decided?
How much money is required from each partner?
How much time is required from each partner?
How will you evaluate if the partnership has achieved its stated outcomes?

Mary Ann Alhadeff, who has held a number of senior level positions in public broadcasting, has compared partnerships to a marriage and suggests a pre-nuptial checklist to consider before committing to a partnership. You can find this information at http://mediaengage.org/planDesign/partners/PreNuptial.pdf.

Success Scenario

In the coming year (2008-2009), Literacy Link Niagara will be embarking on a project to help ease the transitions between programs and create greater access for clients. To do this, they will establish a working partnership with organizations for a specific purpose, working towards a common goal. This project arose from the need for Literacy Link Niagara to expand its information/referral protocol to include other Employment Ontario community agencies. Two researchers will be collecting and analyzing the literacy levels of the materials and processes used in local Job Finders Clubs and Job Connect programs to better understand at what point a literacy learner will be ready to move on successfully from a literacy program to an employment training program.

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CLO gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Ontario Government under Employment Ontario and the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) and the technical support provided by the National Adult Literacy Database in developing this web site.

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