The most important lesson that can be gleaned from the data sources is that partnership development and sustainability are possible when a funding agency understands the work of the stakeholder organizations and becomes an equal partner in the process. When this occurs, a sense of trust develops among the partners leading to full engagement in building the endeavour. This results in ‘real’ partnerships being formed and people doing their jobs better.
When project work that stems from a partnership is supported, a capacity for networking is established and this can spread across the country. This work is further facilitated when champions for a workplace literacy issue are called in to help carry the message forward. Helpful to this process, as well, is when the funding partner can act as the “cushion on politics”. In other words, the funding partner navigates the related government-of-the-day issues without burdening the funding recipients. This specific Business and Labour Partnership Program has taught the country what partnership is all about because they were very aware of the delicacy of arrangements and used their role as a type of broker to facilitate change rather that direct it.
Over the three periods of time, changes have occurred. Toward the end of the development and demonstration years (1996-2000), there was an integration of literacy with a national essential skills agenda. In the period of program change (2001-2006), and the introduction of the tier system for project submissions, innovation was defined more rigidly and the concern about lack of information flow about policy change from the NLS heightened. New review committee structures increased federal accountability, and reporting requirements seemed to take precedence over real workplace issues and proposal ideas. Added to this was the change from a granting system for partnership projects to a contribution system that took up more time and resources of the partner organizations. The larger organizational partnerships were able to manage these contributions, but the smaller organizations were more pressed for funds and bowed out quietly. These changes, in turn, impacted the amount of early attention that was needed to develop and sustain relationships with the different stakeholder groups.
“Poor literacy levels are a barrier to making changes and improvements needed to compete in today’s world” (p. 12).
Business Results through Literacy. Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Ontario Division.