Renegotiating involves bringing the partners back to the table, and repeating the process of determining roles and responsibilities within the context of the need to renegotiate.

Evaluation methods
Evaluation is a key component of building and maintaining a partnership. The purposes for evaluating the partnership and the means by which evaluation will be conducted should be one of the first things addressed, discussed, and developed by your advisory committee. Make sure that adequate records are kept and data is collected so that progress and achievements can be measured.

Evaluation allows members of the partnership to "step back from the ongoing demands of the relationship and look at the bigger picture" (Partnership Resource Kit, 27). It allows us to see what our successes have been, and also where things could be improved. Just as importantly, it identifies why the partnership was or was not effective.

Evaluating the partnership should be done in such a way that it

• improves the quality of decision making
• strengthens the partnership's ability to make a case for continued support from the organizations and their clients (and external support as well)
• stimulates the development of clear policies and practices in the partnership
• justifies in concrete terms the trust of all members of the partnership (Partnership Resource Kit, 27)

Overall, evaluating the partnership will assess whether the objectives, needs, and expectations of the partnership as a whole and of individual members have been met. You will look at the achievement of short-term and long-term goals. As Kadel and Routh (1993) point out, it is important for seeking financial and political support to determine whether the partnership resulted in saving money over traditional methods of providing services. Other types of value added by the partnership should be included as well, such as raising the awareness of literacy issues in community agencies.

Remember that evaluation helps us identify both successes and areas for improvement. These successes must be recognized, celebrated and publicized. Evaluation can mark the milestones and achievements of the partnership, and members need to be congratulated for their accomplishments. Commitment is like an automobile; it can't run forever without refuelling. Not only will it help to sustain or renew members' enthusiasm, but publicizing the successes of the partnership will help to sustain community support and gain credibility for the program. Other programs may also find inspiration to try a partnership approach to family literacy.