Partnership Model Southbank House Black Prince Road London SE1 7SJ T: +44 (0)20 7793 4144 F: +44 (0)20 7793 4159 Registered UK charity no.326859 Introduction AbleChildAfrica s mission is to promote the realisation of equal rights for disabled children and their families in Africa and to facilitate their meaningful inclusion in all aspects of life and our strategy has always outlined our key commitment to working with and alongside partner organisations in Africa to achieve this mission. We are firmly committed to local ownership and to African led solutions to local challenges. We believe quality and success depends on being grounded in the local context and that we achieve the greatest impact and sustainability possible through partnerships. In 2007, AbleChildAfrica (formerly Uganda Society for Disabled Children-USDC) expanded our remit and began working outside Uganda. We have been working in partnership ever since but recognise the need to refresh and record our thinking behind our work in partnership. We are committed to transparency and to developing ever more equitable partnerships. This model has been informed by extensive consultation with our current partners and examination of other models in the sector. Through this process we aim to strengthen existing partnerships and to outline our ambitions in forming new partnerships going forward. This model is intended to be brave, to do things differently, to level, as far as possible, power dynamics that have the potential to be unequal and most importantly, to invite and encourage our partners to do the same. The following outlines our core principles, ways of working, expectations and commitments, including to continual learning and improvement. What is Partnership? Simply put, partnership occurs when two or more organisations work together to achieve common aims. However, putting this into practice in a way that is genuine and mutually beneficial is much harder. A successful partnership is one which both achieves the common aim intended, whilst simultaneously being of mutual benefit and enjoyment to both parties. Core Principles Like any partnership in life we can t expect that good relationships will just happen; they take time, effort, patience and a commitment to one another. Together we have outlined the core principles that underpin any successful partnership and are precursors for success in achieving our mutual aim of improving the life chances for disabled children in Africa. Mutual Honesty, Trust & Respect AbleChildAfrica is committed to equitable partnerships, to challenging the status quo and to breaking down power dynamics. To do this both partners must work together, learn to respect and value the contribution of the other, commit themselves to open and honest communication even when this is difficult and to implicitly trust each other s integrity. We must at all times strive to remember that ultimately both organisations, and the committed and dedicated individuals within those organisations, are all working extremely hard to realise their shared vision of improving the lives of disadvantaged children and their families. Good Communication Good communication is essential to quality partnerships. We define good communication as timely, honest, regular, clear and importantly, initiated by both parties. This goes far beyond communication for planning or reporting purposes and requires both partners to keep the other informed of current operations, challenges, future plans and key opportunities. Through our partnership we aim to create an environment of trust and mutual respect that invites both parties to be transparent and honest with each other. While this is critical when dealing with challenging situations or differences of opinion it is no less Partnership Model Approved 17.10.2015 1
valuable when things are going well! Both parties deserve to share in the successes and highs and to celebrate common achievements. Shared Values & Beliefs AbleChildAfrica wants to align ourselves with organisations who share our values, which are clearly outlined in our strategic plan. We are therefore only open to partnership with organisations that are firmly committed to the following guiding principles. We also expect partners will share our commitment to keeping children safe as well as to upholding and promoting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Commitment to Learning AbleChildAfrica is committed to continual reflection and growth and are looking for the same in our partnerships. The willingness to grow, learn from our experiences, reflect, adapt and continually improve, both individually and together, is essential to our partnerships. Sustainability AbleChildAfrica works in partnership with local organisations because we believe this approach leads to long term change. We recognise and acknowledge that our partners are best placed to impact children and families in their local communities long after AbleChildAfrica will be there. AbleChildAfrica has committed ourselves to sustainability in choosing this approach and we ask our partners to commit to sustainability themselves. AbleChildAfrica is not a donor. Throughout the life of a partnership we will work together to seek funding from third parties for agreed activities. However, both organisations must also be committed to simultaneously working towards their own independence in funding and sustainability. AbleChildAfrica is on hand to support the development of sustainability strategies and values the input of partners into our own strategic direction and sustainability plans. Approach to Partnerships We believe partnership is long term and is not about an endpoint or exit strategy but about the journey we will go on together. For this reason we do not subscribe to a phases approach or limit our partnerships to any length of time at the outset. We believe partnerships will undoubtedly have ebbs and flows and each party should expect that the partnership will be more or less active at various points in time over this journey. This requires both parties to openly acknowledge and accept the reality that in a long term relationship the relative inputs (both in time and resources), benefits to one organisation or the other, as well as the balance of responsibility and/or power will necessarily shift over time. - Input of resources - Benefit/return - Responsibility - Visibility - Power Dynamics - Effectiveness - Skills TIME Partner 2 Partner 1 Partnership Model Approved 17.10.2015 2
Similarly we understand, and indeed hope, that the skills, expertise, support and overall added effectiveness brought by each partner will change over time. It is open, honest and common understanding of these ebbs and flows that will make the journey successful for both parties. This is not a linear process, at any given point either partner may change their key strategic priorities, undertake a new activity or approach together, grow or reduce their operations, receive funding from a donor with different expectations, etc. at each of these points new or revised support to one another may be needed and the organisations may therefore jump around on the above diagram. What can partners expect from AbleChildAfrica? AbleChildAfrica will partner with organisations where we can add value and make a difference. That means making a difference to the lives of disabled children to meet our charitable objectives and achieve our mission. It is important to us to also make a difference to partner organisation themselves. In particular, we want to add value to our partners through: - Organisational development: together we will undertake a needs assessment and identify key areas where we can support each other. Key areas include but are not limited to good governance, financial management, fundraising & sustainability, advocacy, HR processes, etc. As part of any partnership agreement, AbleChildAfrica will commit to supporting our partner to develop in key identified areas and together we will outline what that support will look like. We will also identify areas for our own development and seek support from our network of partners in return to develop our own skills and practice. - Leveraging our position as a UK and USA charitable organisation to help secure funding for our partners. This will likely include, at various stages of the partnership, funding from trusts and foundations, larger institutional multi-year funders, major donors and companies. We also help to identify local opportunities for direct funding and help our partners secure those. - Grant management we take on the role of managing donor relations and reporting, which allows our partners to be open with us about their needs, challenges and successes without fear of penalty or repercussions. We then provide the support they need to overcome any challenges and undertake any communications or negotiations with donors on their behalf. - Using our experience, knowledge, contacts and positioning in the UK to raise awareness of disabled children in Africa and the work partners are doing. We advocate on an international stage to ensure the rights of disabled children are realised and hold governments/donors to account for their international commitments. - Signposting to information, resources and key developments impacting disabled children in Africa both globally and locally. - Facilitating a network of African partner organisations to share learning, resources and collaborate for the mutual benefit for all. - Supporting partners to realise their mission, whether this is by partnering to deliver education services, lobby the local government, supporting families or giving children a platform to speak out for themselves- we collaborate on projects, led by our partners, that directly benefit disabled children and their families. Why we need you AbleChildAfrica is proud to acknowledge that we would not exist without our African partners. Working in partnership is a deliberate choice outlined in our strategy, which we freely admit gives us additional credibility and allows us to offer value for money for our donors. That means we need our partners and recognise that the relationship is of mutual benefit and reciprocity. In particular, our partners: - Inspire us with their/our successes and keep us motivated. - Provide us with continual knowledge and learning regarding disabled children and their families in their local context. We are then able to use that knowledge with authority to raise awareness and Partnership Model Approved 17.10.2015 3
advocate for equal rights for disabled children on an international stage. We also leverage that knowledge to secure additional funding, both for ourselves and partners. - Support our own sustainability. We recognise and appreciate that contributions to our own staff time and expenses are included in grants and project budgets on which we collaborate. This is essential to our own stability and growth. - Act as a network to one another- yes, here we all contribute and benefit but we certainly couldn t do it alone. - Show AbleChildAfrica s donors our impact on the ground first hand. This allows us to demonstrate the need for and success of both our partnership and impact on disabled children, in order to secure continued funding for either or both partners. - Provide us with timely reports and financial information from the ground so that we too can be accountable to our donors and stakeholders. - Support us to realise our mission, whether this is by partnering to deliver education services, lobby the local government, supporting families or giving children a platform to speak out for themselveswe collaborate on projects, led by our partners that directly benefit disabled children and their families. What does AbleChildAfrica expect from partners? AbleChildAfrica is open to partnerships with non-governmental organisations at any stage of development. We do not require or even expect potential partners to have excellent systems, policies or procedures across the board. One key way AbleChildAfrica can add value is by supporting these partners in their set up and in the development stages of the organisation s lifecycle. When partners are open with us from the outset about areas for their own organisational development we are better able to offer support in these areas and plan for the addition of such activities into our staff time and grant budgets. We aim to partner with organisations across their lifecycle and expect some will just be starting out and others will be well established. What is most important to us in agreeing partnerships is a commitment to the above guiding principles and dedication to go on a long term journey together. We do however require that partners demonstrate excellence in, or a commitment towards working with us to achieve excellence in, a few key areas. These include: - Child protection, all partners must have (or be committed to quickly adopting) a child protection policy and demonstrate they live this policy with their actions and procedures. - Strong leadership, in particular strong and active Governance structures and management dedicated to the key principles outlined above and to a shared commitment to the partnership. - Good financial management and systems, we must be able to demonstrate to ourselves and our donors that we are accountable for all funds and grants managed by AbleChildAfrica and uphold UK and international laws regarding the transfer and use of funds overseas. This will include upholding AbleChildAfrica s Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy. - Human Rights - all partners must be committed to upholding and promoting the human rights of disabled children, in particular as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. - Learning- we ask partners to work with us collaboratively to annually review both our joint impact on disabled children and the strength of our partnership. This requires committing the necessary time for data collection, reflection and learning by both parties. Funding AbleChildAfrica is not a donor. We have no endowment or other source of funds of our own to give to partners. It is critical that our partners and donors alike recognise that we do not have our own independent sources of funding and do not provide funding to partners directly. In fact, we typically face the same challenges in having secure funding and meeting our overheads as our partners experience. Together we work with our partners to develop projects, identify sources of funding for those projects and secure funding. This will take different forms at various stages of organisational capacity. We feel there is much better value in us leveraging our limited resources to secure even more funding, by offering support Partnership Model Approved 17.10.2015 4
in project planning, grant writing, introducing partners to local funders and supporting the development of sustainability strategies and income generating activities. Establishing Partnerships AbleChildAfrica partners with African led organisations who share our vision and values and who are actively working to improve the life chances of disabled children and their families. We are open to partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa without prejudice to a particular region. We do not require our partners to focus on particular impairments or thematic areas, instead choosing to value local voices and listening to the stated priorities of our colleagues on the ground. If an organisation wishes to partner with AbleChildAfrica they will first need to complete a simple questionnaire on our website to establish if the fit is a good match. If at that stage both parties feel there is mutual benefit to a potential partnership we enter an exploration stage (typically 3-6 months). This will include conversations with key members of both teams and a needs assessment. If both parties feel the partnership is valuable and viable at that stage than AbleChildAfrica will undertake an initial visit to the prospective partner. During this visit, both partners will together explore potential projects as well as assess organisational capacity and future aspirations. If we decide to move forward we will then jointly agree areas of collaborative working, design projects and seek funding; potential partners should expect this to take up to a further 3-6 months on average. AbleChildAfrica is a small and has limited resources; we cannot partner with every organisation where there would be mutual benefit. Before taking on a new partnership, AbleChildAfrica extensively researches the local context as well as the need and existing resources within the country. We then assess the fit with a potential partner as well as consider the mix and needs of the current partners we work with. First and foremost we will partner with organisations where both parties feel they can add value to each other and agree AbleChildAfrica can add value and make a difference to the development of the partner organisation itself and by doing so, to disabled children and their families in Africa. AbleChildAfrica aims to at all times have a mix of partners focusing on different key thematic areas (education, health, advocacy, etc.), at different stages of their own organisational development and with a wide geographical spread (both urban/rural and across Sub Saharan Africa). We facilitate a network of partners and look for new organisations that can add to this network and encourage shared learning and collaboration. As a smaller organisation we know all too well the value of every penny. With limited capacity we are extremely careful when selecting projects to invest our time and resources in. We will not partner with a new organisation where that will compromise either potential funding opportunities or the time we can dedicate to an existing partnership. Similarly, by limiting the number of partnerships we have, we are able to ensure they are each built on close working relationships, regular communication and mutual respect and transparency. Accountability and Learning As partners we are mutually accountable to one another. It is expected that both partners commit to regularly reviewing the strength of the partnership, which will include both evaluating the working relationship of the partnership as well as progress towards the impact we set out to achieve together. Both parties must be accountable to one another and assist one another by holding each other to account to our stated commitments and aspirations. At the start of any partnership organisations will assess and discuss both the needs and the opportunities and if mutually beneficial, will sign a 3-5 year partnership agreement which will be reviewed annually and may be extended indefinitely if both partners agree. This agreement will clearly outline the impact we hope to achieve together as well as the expectations and commitments of both organisations. In short, we will highlight to each other where each can add value to the other and where working together we can add value to the lives of disabled children. Both partners will need to commit to a yearly review of this partnership and to measuring progress towards identified aims. Partnership Model Approved 17.10.2015 5