STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Goal:

Strategic Partnerships are vital in bringing the strategic planning process in alignment with local and regional economic needs. These partnerships must be mutually beneficial and may go beyond the scope of the agency’s current relationships in order to broaden business and social opportunities. 

Learning Objectives

The Strategic Partnerships domain focuses on the development of a better understanding of effective approaches for developing new partnerships and enhancing existing partnerships and the external factors to pay attention to:

• Understanding the local economic environment and labor market
• Involvement of the business community and establishing mutually beneficial relationships

Audience

Agency Leadership:

• Executive Team
  
• Board of Directors
  
• Program Directors
  

Tools and Processes

Group Discussion Exercise – Strategic Partnerships  

The following group discussion exercise is structured to help the agency gain a better understanding of the importance of Strategic Partnerships with the business community in the transformation/change process and in establishing mutually beneficial relationships that support new employment models.

1.

Get a sense of the agency’s baseline score by completing the Mini ESTA.

2.

This brief podcast defines the “Strategic Partnerships Domain” and why the questions in the full self-assessment are important.

3.

Complete the ESTA or move to the next step.

---

4.

Assemble a group of your agency’s Leadership stakeholders; minimally include Executive Leadership (e.g. CEO, CFO, HR, COO), Board of Directors and Program Directors. For a more expansive group include external participants (individuals and families, community partners, etc.). 

A.) Note: This process may also be conducted using multiple groups with each group comprised of discrete stakeholders (e.g. Board members only; Executive Team only).​

5.

Review the self-assessment of Strategic Partnerships from the Mini ESTA (or ESTA if completed).

A.) By reviewing the rating/score from the assessment, the agency will see where they fall on the continuum of progress towards transformation in the Strategic Partnerships Domain. Keep in mind the responses to the individual items in the assessment during discussion.

6.

Continue discussion using the prompts below. During discussion, consider potential actions that may be undertaken to make further progress in the transformation process.

​Approximate Time for Exercise:
​60-90 minutes

A). Review and discuss the process or approach the agency has been using to develop business partnerships/ opportunities in the community or solicit/obtain contracts. Is there a strategy or a plan that is followed and what is this plan based on? Who is responsible?  What approaches have been the most effective? 

B.) Discuss the range of relationships that the agency has with the business and employment sectors. Do relationships include economic development councils, chambers of commerce, rotary clubs, workforce development teams at community colleges or other business or employment associations? What strategies can you use to better engage with these groups?

C.) Discuss how the agency has been involving business partners in the agency’s transformation process and results of these partnerships. Do these business partners have active involvement in the transformation process?
  
D.) Has the agency been in discussions with business partners regarding their current and future workforce and/or product needs? How is the agency incorporating this stakeholder group’s needs into planning?

E.) What are some of the key business opportunities identified by the agency as relationships have been established with the business sector?

Download Discussion Prompts