Guiding Alliance Principles

Trust

Trust is an essential foundation that enables partners to work together despite the individual alliance organizations’ differing interests, motivation, cultures, values and infrastructures. It is also fundamental to partnerships working in and among communities, especially those delivering public goods, for their social contract.

Equity

Equity implies an equal right to be at the bargaining table and a validation of those contributions that are not measurable simply in terms of cash value or public profile.

Competencies

This principle pertains to the identification and building of appropriate competencies according to the alliance’s goals and mission. There must be an appropriate competency mix in the partner organizations and individuals to achieve the partnership’s goals and a determination of how they can be best combined and aligned to effectively serve the goals.

Inclusivity

Inclusivity concerns the ability for an alliance to process the views and needs of its stakeholders – those groups who affect and/or are affected by the alliance and its activities – and to reflect on these expectations at all evolutionary stages of the alliance.

Partnership Alignment

Alliances develop and combine organizations with differing interests and objectives in their individual organizations. The alliance should be aligned to individual partners’ organizational goals and interests.

Mutual Benefit

If all partners in the alliance are expected to contribute to the alliance they should also be entitled to benefit from the alliance. A healthy alliance will work toward achieving specific benefits for each partner over and above the common benefits to all partners. Only in this way will the partnership ensure the continuing commitment of partners and therefore be sustainable.

Transparency

Openness and honesty in working relationships are pre-conditions of trust – seen by many as an important ingredient of successful partnership. This characteristic pertains to the full, accurate and timely disclosure of information and communication. This includes formal processes such as reporting, auditing and so on of an organization’s procedures as well as informal methods of communication through meetings, teleconferences, email and so on. It includes the openness in fully explaining the reasons for any decision or course of action adopted by a partnership and the acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of the decision or action.