Comment by Jennie Carey on June 14, 2014 at 11:18am

Please follow me on twitter @JennieConnect

Comment by Damion J. Morgan on July 29, 2014 at 5:14pm

Jennie,

You raise some really great questions. I always ask “why are we all here?” That is how I start every partnership meeting because I want them to know from the very outset that we are here for the kids. I fell ultimately we’re accountable to the kids which a bunch of other people sprinkled in. When people agree to that I have found it makes the partnership process much easier.

But I do have a few questions. What role do you play in the drafting of the MOU? Are you their primary contact at your site? If you’re not part of the MOU process who is and is your feedback sought?

Here is how I operate:

Accountability – I understand that my initial level of accountability is to manage the partnership, be the point person and bring the key players together that should lead to an MOU. I’m responsible for providing updates to the leadership team, looking at data and using that information to determine if the partnership is working. Say the partner is a new science center that wants to come in one day a week for six weeks for one hour during the after school program to do a weird science enrichment. If all parties agree that their staff will be onsite every week at three but for four out of six weeks they were late they are accountable. Again it goes back to the MOU, there should be clear language stating that if either party is not satisfied with the partnership it does not have to be renewed after the termination date. So I would go back to that science center partner with a copy of the MOU reminding them of the agreed upon terms but also help them understand how simply being 20 minutes late had a significant impact on the students in the program who are the ones that should benefit the most from the MOU. Your accountability is based on what is worded in the MOU and your scope of control. Part of my accountability is to take care of all the logistical issues so the partner can satisfy their terms of the MOU. I understand that they hold me responsible for that task because any delay will impact programming. They have an expectation to get the access they needed as I promised and I can expect them to be on time every week just as they promised. So the accountability rests with all parties or their representatives mentioned in the MOU and I make sure that is outlined in detail.

Interdependence – Going to back to the language in the MOU, how does that good/service contribute to either the School Accountability Plan or the community school workplan? If it doesn’t there should be no partnership. When the MOU is drafted it should be done with pertinent data from both of those documents in mind or at quick reference. Any and every partner needs to know exactly how they add to a very long link of services/goods that contribute to the success of the school.  They have an opportunity to be part of that success and that is why a partnership was pursued. They need to know how they fit into the big picture not just their own lane. You mentioned this in your post and I completely agree with you,  full partnership meetings can also reap rich rewards. We know business people love to have an excuse to mix and mingle but this meeting should be an opportunity to first get all of them in one room. Then it is a chance to talk about ways of cross collaboration. It can open up more discussions around sponsorships for community events and innovative ways that two seemingly disparate companies can work together.

 

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