Stage One: Exploration

The exploration stage takes longer than you think!! If at all possible, the process should not ever be put on a fast track.

• Relationship building is the key objective of this stage.
• Research and identify the key players for your partnership.
• Cast vision about the outcomes of the partnership by showing the success of others.
• Identify a facilitator or, if you are the facilitator, locate additional members of a facilitation team.
• Aim at bringing together the key players that will form the core of the organizing team.

Key Principles of the Exploration Stage

• Effective partnerships take time to develop.
• Effective partnerships emphasize what they can do together before putting structure together. Allow form to follow function.
• Effective partnerships have a facilitator or a facilitation team. Partnerships do not just happen; they take a person or a team of people committed to serve the wider group.
• Effective partnerships have a clear purpose. Partnership for partnership sake spells failure.
• Effective partnerships are built on relationships of trust, openness and mutual concern. Partnership is more than coordination and planning.

Stage Two: Formation

Stage Three: Operation