Both partners are equally involved, with no partner taking a dominant role; coming from a different role and perspective, each appreciated the role and perspective of the other; each was willing to contribute time and to "bracket their respective egos" (3); "both parties must seriously and mutually reflect on how the collaborative nature of the project will be accomplished" (13).
Hannay and Stevens in Hord 1986

VII. Key Characteristics of Successful Partnerships

These key factors for successful partnerships have been compiled from the literature on family literacy and related fields, as well as from interviews conducted with five family literacy coordinators in Alberta, and their eighteen community partners.

As information from the 1995 interviews forms the basis of all of these points on key characteristics, they will not be referred to repetitively; only additional sources will be included.

Communication
Communication between partners needs to be frequent, on-going, and honest. In the initial stages of developing a partnership, members need to be very forthright about their needs, what they can contribute to the partnership, and what their expectations are. Goals and objectives need to be specific and clearly communicated (Nurss and Rawlston 1994).

Shared or common language is critical to the success of collaboration and partnership (Boavida and Borges 1994, Fargason 1994, Mitchell and Scott 1993). How we understand and interpret language has a very significant impact on how we interact with each other. Members of the partnership must ensure they have a common understanding of key terms and concepts, such as “at risk,” “early intervention,” and “cooperation.”

Clearly communicating responsibilities and perceived roles is critical from the outset to avoiding misunderstandings and eventual frustration and loss of commitment. Members must have a common understanding of both individual and joint responsibilities.

As the partnership progresses and the program is delivered, partners need to be kept informed of progress and changes in the program. Communication needs to be a priority between agencies as well as within agencies. Many coordinators stressed the importance of face-to-face contact whenever possible.

Publicizing and communicating successes within the partnership and within the community is seen as a high priority in sustaining a partnership, keeping people motivated, and drawing new partners into the group (Mawhinney 1993, Seamen 1992).

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