The Five Points of Partnership

The Five Points of PartnershipThe Five Points of PartnershipA Campus & Community Partnership

Approach to Building Healthier Communities

Leah Ashwill – Director, ALIVE Center for Community PartnershipsNadia De Leon – Coordinator, ALIVE Center for Community PartnershipsTerry Shoemaker – Coordinator, Institute for Citizenship & Social ResponsibilityCourte Voorhees – Assistant Professor, Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility

The Five Points of PartnershipThe Five Points of PartnershipWhat makes a healthy community?

What is the Challenge?What is the Challenge?•“Americans are playing virtually every aspect of the civic game less frequently today than we did two decades ago.”

•Declining participation in clubs and civic groups

•Decline in participation in religious activities

Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American

Community

POLITICAL/COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION 1973-4 to 1993-4

Served as an officer of some club or organization Down 42%Worked for a political party Down 42%Served on a committee for some local organization Down 39%Attended a public meeting on town or school affairs Down 35%Attended a political rally or speech Down 34%Made a speech Down 24%Wrote a congressional representative Down 23%Signed a petition Down 22%Was a member of some “better government” group Down 19%Held or ran for political office Down 16%Wrote a letter to the paper Down 14%Wrote an article for a magazine or newspaper Down 10%Participated in at least one of the 12 Down 25%

Source: Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam Page 45

The Television EraConsumerismPersonal Computers (cyberbalkanization)Loss of Trust

◦In our government◦In one another

Causes of the Challenge

Contributing Factor ImpactPressures of time and money 10 percentSuburbanization, commuting, and sprawl 10 percentTelevision and other electronic entertainment 25 percentGenerational change 40-45 percentOTHER? 10-15 percent

Causes of the Challenge

Source: Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam Page 284

The Five Points of PartnershipThe Five Points of PartnershipA Campus & Community Partnership

Approach to Building Healthier Communities

Goal: Collaborative InitiativesGoal: Collaborative InitiativesCreating healthier communities and overcoming complex societal problems require collaborative

solutions which bring communities and institutions together as equal partners and build upon the assets,

strengths and capacities of each.

Relationships, Language & Relationships, Language & the Importance of Placethe Importance of Place

5 Points of Partnership5 Points of Partnership

Point 1: Point 1: Identify the needs….and assets

•Relational Dialogue with Community•Mapping Resources•Surveying•Focus Groups

Transitional Housing

Five Points of Partnership

Need, Issue & Assets

Five Points of Partnership

Point 2: Point 2: Invite Partners…Build Relationships

Need, Issue & Assets

Faith Based Organization

Artists

Local Business

University

Non-Profit

NeighborhoodAssociation

Potential Partners

Need, Issue & Assets

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Five Points of Partnership

Point 3: Point 3: Develop Ideas…Not Individual Agendas

Campus and

Community Network

Campus Partners

Community Organizations

ALIVE CCP

Community Individuals

Develop Ideas

Develop Ideas

Five Points of Partnership

Need, Issue & Assets

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Develop Ideas

Develop Ideas

Five Points of Partnership

Point 4: Point 4: Pool Resources…From the Community

Information Gap

BG Police

HopeHarbor

ALIVE CCP

WKU Spanish Club

andHOPE

Develop Ideas

Develop IdeasVolunteers

Coordinator

Safety

Demographic Information

Five Points of Partnership: Puerta a Puerta Networking

and media

Need, Issue & Assets

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Potential Partner

Develop Ideas

Develop IdeasResources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Five Points of Partnership

Point 5: Point 5: Implementation…and Evaluation/Assessment

Successful campus-community partnerships must find ways to preserve the integrity of each partner and, at the same time, honor the purpose of the relationship and the growth of each party.

Maintaining realistic and visible goals throughout the process of implementation:Dynamically linking short term and long term goals

Maintaining realistic and visible goals throughout the process of implementation:Dynamically linking short term and long term goals

Maintaining realistic and visible goals throughout the process of implementation:Dynamically linking short term and long term goals

Maintaining realistic and visible goals throughout the process of implementation:Dynamically linking short term and long term goals

Linking partnership goals:to stories/goals of individuals, organizations, communities

Use tools that span learning styles, work sectors, cultural backgrounds, etc.

Tools:

Power Mapping

Network Diagramming

Narrative Writing

Exploding the Issue

And more…

Make welcome space at “the table”

Routinely ask for (and use!) input in ways that encourage participation and dialog:• Anonymous brainstorming

• Round robin critiques and/or “critical friends”

• Routine reflection on process and content

Make welcome space at “the table”

Establish long term relationships with individuals, organizations, community leaders, etc.

•Paratroopers vs. Good Neighbors:

•Goals that benefit you and rely on the work/ risk of your partners

Make welcome space at “the table”

Establish long term relationships with individuals, organizations, community leaders, etc.

•Paratroopers vs. Good Neighbors:

•Goals that benefit all and share work while shifting risks to you

Building in Assessment

Evaluation/Assessment:

• Creating evidence

• Highlighting small wins

• Celebrating success!

• Turning short arcs into long arcs

Building in Assessment

Creating Evidence:

• Building in evaluation from the start

• Achievable, operationalized goals

• Clear strategies to reach those goals

• Measurable milestones for process outcomes

• Efficient instruments for measuring success

Building in Assessment

Highlighting Small Wins:

• Allows intermediate buildup of momentum

• Displays realistic adherence to short and long term goals

Building in Assessment

Celebrating Success:

• Emphasize• Strengths of individuals, organizations, community, and partnership

• Measurable changes

• Links between small wins and long term goals

• Fun and humor

Partnership ArcsTurning short arcs into long arcs

Partnership ArcsTurning short arcs into long arcs

Conclusion

5 Points of Partnership:

• Identifying needs and assets

• Inviting partners, building relationships

• Developing ideas, not individual agendas

• Pooling resources

• Implementation and assessment

Conclusion

For effective partnerships, build in:

• Participation

• Dynamism

• Evaluation

• Learning

• Celebration

Leah Ashwill, DirectorNadia De Leon, Community Engagement

Terry Shoemaker, Program CoordinatorCourte Voorhees, Community Based Research

Thank you for your time!Thank you for your time!

Questions or Comments?Questions or Comments?

Leah Ashwill, Director, ALIVE CCPNadia De Leon, Coordinator, ALIVE CCP

Terry Shoemaker, Coordinator, ICSRCourte Voorhees, Assistant Professor, ICSR

Thank you for your time!Thank you for your time!

Questions or Comments?Questions or Comments?

Leah Ashwill, Director, ALIVE CCPNadia De Leon, Coordinator, ALIVE CCP

Terry Shoemaker, Coordinator, ICSRCourte Voorhees, Assistant Professor, ICSR

Thank you for your time!Thank you for your time!

Questions or Comments?Questions or Comments?