Our 3-day  training course, Building Effective Partnerships for Development, run in collaboration with Business Fights Poverty, develops the essential skills, understanding and knowledge, and provides a complete set of tools, for effective cross-sector partnering. Optionally, it can lead to a Certificate in Partnering Practice.

“TPI has demystified the science of building sustainable and effective partnerships. I warmly recommend this training event.” Washington DC, 2017

Course Dates

About the course

Many of today’s societal, environmental, business sustainability and humanitarian challenges are so complex and interconnected that they can only be tackled by different sectors working together. Whether they are bi-lateral business-NGO partnerships, public-private partnerships for development, cross-sector partnerships or global multi-stakeholder initiatives, governments, business, civil society, and development agencies are collaborating to leverage others’ resources, stimulate innovation and maximise impact.

However, effective collaboration between organisations with different approaches, missions, interests and cultures is difficult. It requires common understanding across partners of the process and challenges of partnering; a collaborative mindset and a key partnering skill set. With these critical elements in place, partnerships can achieve real impact. Without them, partnerships are likely to under-perform or fail altogether.

“TPI taught me that good partnership starts with forceful initiative but what makes it great is strategic reflection and constant adaption with an open mindset.” Participant from the World Bank.

To address the vital challenge of partnering capacity, The Partnering Initiative (TPI) has pioneered a range of training courses and developed a series of guidebooks to support practitioners. TPI’s 3-day training programme develops skills, understanding and knowledge for effective cross-sector partnering, optionally leading to a Certificate in Partnering Practice. The course balances core knowledge with highly interactive, experiential learning through role play, ‘serious games’ and peer-to-peer exchange.

Who is the course for?

The course is for practitioners from all sectors who need to build their knowledge, understanding and skills of how to work effectively in partnership. It is suited both to new partnership practitioners and those with some partnering experience who wish to complement and formalise their learning with frameworks, practical tools and experiential learning.

Aims of the course

By the end of the course, participants will have gained:

• Understanding of the rationale for, and risks of, partnering and when, and when not, to partner;
• An approach to predict and assess the value of prospective partnership;
• Appreciation of the drivers, societal roles and mindset of each sector;
• Clarity over what constitutes a ‘transactional collaboration’, what is a ‘genuine partnership’ and where each may be appropriate;
• An understanding of the essential processes of partnering;
• Appreciation of the ‘guiding principles’, challenges and success factors behind effective partnership;
• Understanding over what it takes to be a ‘good’ partner, and development of the skills and mindset required to partner well;
• Appreciation of the different types of leadership required to partner well;
• Gain access to a range of tools to develop and manage partnership;
• Understanding how to create agreements, implement, manage & review partnerships successfully;
• Familiarity with the ‘Partnering Cycle’, a framework for the development and management of partnership

Participants in the course can optionally submit for a Certificate in Partnering Practice.