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ANZ – PBA Partnering Awards winner announced

Earlier this year, PBA let our networks, Associates and alumni know that we had partnered with ANZ Bank in Australia to establish and launch inaugural Partnering Awards – which were designed to raise awareness in Australia, of the importance of attention to good partnering processes in cross-sector partnerships in support of delivering important social change outcomes.

The Awards attracted an outstanding group of cross-sector applicants from across Australia, and four finalists were identified by the judging panel, who were drawn from experienced PBA Associates and accredited PBT alumni: Kate Hayes, Cam Willis, Cath Scarth, Trish Edwards, Ingo Kumic and Michelle Commandeur. The judging panel was co-convened by long-time Julie Mundy and Helen Fenney, who guided the judges through a rigorous judging process, jointly developed by ANZ and PBA, which considered the PBA partnering principles amongst other criteria.  Of all the principles, applicants spoke most convincingly to that of ‘courage’ and how they had had to operate outside their comfort zones to do things differently in order to succeed together.

Just Healthy Families (JHF), a health justice partnership embedding free legal help into health and social service settings across Tasmania, was announced as the recipient of the inaugural ANZ-PBA Partnering Award. The JHF initiative aims to co-locate lawyers with health professionals, to ensure lawyers are routinely in the right place at the right time when clients need assistance from their trusted health or social service provider. The JHF partnership is a collaboration between two legal services (Women’s Legal Service Tasmania and Tasmania Legal Aid) and three health and community partner organisations (Child Health and Parenting Services, Child and Family Learning Centres and Hobart Women’s Shelter) as well as the University of Tasmania and Tasmanian Government. In receiving the award, the JHF partnership will also be given professional development opportunities with PBA, up to the value of $6,000 (incl. GST).

ANZ’s Janet Liu, the Just Healthy Partnerships representatives, PBA’s Julie Mundy.

The Women’s Legal Service Tasmania CEO, Yvette Cehtel said: “This project is a Tasmanian first, approached in a truly innovative way. We asked lawyers to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. As partners, we’re honoured to have our vision and work celebrated through this Award. Together, we know we can continue to achieve positive outcomes for the over 3,000 women we’ve assisted throughout the life of this project.”

PBA Associate, Julie Mundy said: “We received some impressive applications from a range of sectors. Just Healthy Families demonstrated a strong culture of openness between partners with the co-location of the JHF lawyers within the health services in order to enable vulnerable families to access their services in a trusted environment.  The success of the program, in turn has helped build trust between partners who could see first-hand the impact the service had on clients.”

Other finalists for the award were partnerships established by Our Watch and Victoria University (Prevention of Gender-based Violence in tertiary education settings ), Inland Rail, TAFE NSW, Clontarf Foundation and Martinus Rail (First Nations Skills Development & Training), and Justice Connect and Telstra (Building Digital Inclusion and Legal Resilience).

ANZ Head of Social Impact and Community, Janet Liu said: “The ANZ-PBA Partnering Award was established to recognise effective cross-sector partnership practice in Australia. ANZ and PBA believe good partnering practice can lead to transformative change and sustainable relationships, ultimately delivering long term benefits for the Australian community.”

The Awards night was hosted spectacularly in late October by ANZ at their headquarters, and was well-attended by over 100 decision-makers and partnership practitioners. Ian Dixon, one of the pioneers of cross-sector partnering in Australia and a key PBA Associate over many years, was kind enough to emcee the event and shared his experience of partnership brokering over the career. Two of the judges, Cath Scarth and Cam Willis, also shared their insights from the judging and their own brokering experiences, on the night. It was great to see a good turn-out of Australian PBT Alumni, Associates and trainers at the event, who rarely get the chance to gather and celebrate.

Some of the PBA crew in attendance: Yeshe Smith, Dianne McLay, Ian Dixon, Michelle Halse, Julie Mundy and Cam Willis.

It has been a wonderful experience forging the partnership with ANZ and working together to design and deliver the inaugural Awards. It seems fitting too that the cross-sector Awards are delivered by a cross-sector partnership! We very much hope that the Awards will continue and flourish from here on. Our next steps are to undertake a reflection to see what we have learned along the way and consider what we would do differently.  Cam, Julie and Michelle will also be working to synthesis some learnings from the first year’s applications which we plan to share more broadly in the coming months.

For further information about the Awards, please feel free to contact Julie Mundy juliepmundy@gmail.com

 

 

Cross-Sector Partnerships: What Can Go Wrong and What Can We Learn from It

Grenoble Ecole de Management, ANR Cross-PASSE Project, are organizing a Research Meets Practice Webinar on “Cross-Sector Partnerships: What Can Go Wrong and What Can We Learn from It?

Drawing on insights from recent research, the speakers will explore the challenges that can emerge in partnerships, with a particular emphasis on potential societal risks. The webinar will highlight key findings on what can go wrong, especially in terms of negative societal impacts, and provide strategies for anticipating and mitigating these risks. Subsequently, participants will have the opportunity to join two out of three breakout groups, each concentrating on a specific aspect of managing partnership risks.

When: Thursday, November 07, 16h00-17h30 CET

Registration: https//forms.office.com/e/N7nF2y5H7y

ResearchMeetsPractice_Webinar11.24_Flyer

ANZ-PBA Partnering Award

The Partnership Brokers Association and ANZ are inviting applications for the inaugural Australian ANZ-PBA Partnering Award. The applications close on Friday 16th August 2024. Further information and application forms can be found here: https://www.anz.com.au/about-us/esg/community/award/

The award celebrates cross-sector partnerships which demonstrate excellence in the management of Australian-based collaborations between organisations which address a social or environmental issue. The winning partnership will receive professional development opportunities with PBA up to the value of $6,000 (incl. GST) and be recognised at the Awards evening.

Stories from the frontline of Public Private Partnerships

In June 2023, partners of the Sustainable Development Goals Partnership (SDGP) facility of RVO gathered to share their experiences and write their stories about engaging in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). The writing workshop (‘writeshop’) was part of a four year PBA accompaniment trajectory to RVOs SDG Partnerships. A number of PBA Associates worked on this accompaniment trajectory. The writeshop is a method of the Barefoot Guide to help practitioners reflect on their practice, and was facilitated by the Barefoot Guide Connection together with PBA.

Stories from the frontline of Public Private Partnerships is an anthology of eleven compelling stories, each of them a testament to the trials, triumphs, and untapped potential inherent in PPPs. Accompanying the stories are an analysis and insights, all of which capture the essence of our collective pursuit: to find ways to work together that make a difference.

CSSI Symposium 2024 – Power and Inclusion

This year’s edition of the CSSI Symposium is hosted by the University of Cape Town.
PBA Associates will host an online panel discussion on 5th April on Working with communities: Can partnership brokering help to navigate power imbalances (and promote inclusion)?
The panel will be convened by Leda Stott and Bulbul Baksi, and the speakers will be Kwasi Amponsah Boateng, Anindita Majumdar, Olukayode (Sbaba) Soremekun and Peni Tawake. Drawing upon experiences from different country and cultural contexts the panel will discuss whether partnership brokering and the promotion of principle-based collaboration can make a difference in the navigation of power with and among marginalised communities, and how it might assist communities to express and make use of their own power.

Upcoming PBT courses

To learn about dates and locations of upcoming PBT courses, please go to the Training Programme page. This is where you can find course brochures with detailed information about each training and links to application forms to enrol. Our Training Manager, Emma, will be happy to answer your questions: training@partnershipbrokers.org.

PBT in Canberra

PBA is running the flagship Partnership Brokers Training in Canberra 28 Nov – 1 Dec 2023 at the wonderful Shine Dome at ANU.
There’s a lot of talk about genuine partnerships in the air right now and the training provides opportunities to examine this language and reflect on the principles and practices needed. Interested? Join our trainers Yeshe Smith and Arthi Patel for this course!

For more information please see the course brochure.

Click here to apply.

Partnership Campaign for the SDGS

PBA contributed to an advocacy campaign involving UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, The Partnering Initiative and others, focused on creating a more enabling environment for partnerships. PBA Associates prepared a paper for the final report on the contribution and value that partnership brokers bring to partnerships.
The report was launched at the UN General Assembly in September. One of the key findings of the study was that a very significant determinant of a partnership’s success was related to having an independent third-party specialist providing facilitation and support. The report pointed out that partnerships need to invest in the process of partnering, where possible with the support of such a specialist (broker), to ensure inclusion, unlock innovation and set the partnership up for success. They should also build in stronger monitoring to demonstrate value creation, measure progress to allow adaptation, and keep the partnership healthy and effective.

Leaning In: A lean canvas for public-private partnerships

What if a simple tool could bring greater harmony, understanding, and effectiveness to collaborations, especially between public and private partnerships? In Richard Wecker’s recent paper, he explores exactly that, using the concept of the Public-Private Partnership Canvas (PPPCanvas).

Richard introduces the PPPCanvas as a strategic tool for partnership brokering. This powerful approach pushes beyond the memorandum of understanding and into the realm of actionable planning. From managing and maintaining partnerships to reviewing and revising them, Richard posits that the PPPCanvas is not just another method, but a communication bridge and a catalyst for co-creation.

In the world of business, achieving alignment in partnerships is crucial but often challenging. Whether you’re from the public or private sector, Richard anticipates your concerns and addresses them upfront. Will this tool tip the scales in favor of one party? Will it risk oversimplification of complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships? These questions and more are answered with remarkable clarity, transforming initial skepticism into informed anticipation.

But the real magic of Richard’s work isn’t in what he explores – it’s in what he envisions. The PPPCanvas isn’t just a tool – it’s a transformative conduit. It can lead to perspective shifts, power shifts, and even a new paradigm of mutual respect and collaboration.

Richard’s approach focuses on the practical application of this tool while being aware of its potential pitfalls. He reminds us that the utility of such a tool is not standalone, but nested within transformational exercises. This duality provides a framework that both structures thinking and fosters innovation.

Whether you are a seasoned professional in partnership brokering or just beginning your journey, this paper offers a new lens through which to view your work. Richard invites you to join him in this exploration, to test, adapt, and iterate the PPPCanvas in your own practice.

Intrigued? I bet you are. The journey into the depths of partnership brokering and the PPPCanvas is just one click away. You can reach out to Richard Wecker to dive deeper into the practical application of his innovative approach.

Revolutionize your partnership brokering today, harness the power of PPPCanvas, and join the conversation with Richard Wecker!

Join our next PBT in London

Join our trainers, Lola Gostelow and Mariana Merelo Lobo on our next in-person PBT cohort in London. The dates are  7 – 10 November. This course is for those who manage multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaborations and provides:

  • A framework for creating robust, efficient and impactful partnerships
  • Unique, fit for purpose tools and techniques for brokering partnerships that get results
  • Enhanced confidence and competence as a partnership practitioner
  • Strategies to overcome common and complex partnership challenges
  • Personal and professional insights that build competencies to support successful partnerships

Check the course brochure for more information.

For other dates and locations please go to our Training Programme page.

CSSI 2022 Conference: panel discussion on partnership brokering

Join PBA Associates Bulbul Baksi, Leda Stott & Ros Tennyson during a panel discussion at the upcoming CSSI 2022: Cross Sector Social Interactions Conference. This will be a facilitated dialogue drawing on both academic and practitioner insights of participants on how partnership brokering can assist transformation in different contexts.
Click here to learn more.

PANEL: Partnership Brokering: Changing the Rules of the Game. From challenges to breakthrough.
DATE:   22nd June 2022 | Time: 15:00 – 16:40 CET
REGISTER https://event.wur.nl/cssi-2022/subscribe

Please share this invitation with your networks.

Maintaining the mojo of the internal partnership position

In out latest “Stories from Practice” issue we read about managing and measuring the effectiveness of internal partnership broker positions.

In her accreditation paper, Canada-based partnership broker LISA BURLEY explores various issues in relation to the interface between broader strategic priorities, organizational culture and processes and the ways they do or don’t come together to set the stage for the partnership broker’s role.

She offers a framework and practical advice on how to define and document the role of an internal partnership broker within the broader organisational context.

“Are you an internal partnership broker wanting to sustain the dynamism and variety of your job? This paper gives you an analytical tool to categorize what you’re doing, what mindset you’re drawing on, the skills you’re using and at what dosage to keep the mojo going. It also includes a practical suite of suggestions to reset these categories with your colleagues and supervisor to embed your role in making your organization a better partner with stronger partnerships.”

Download Lisa Burley’s paper here and share with us about your insights on the diverse roles that partnership brokers can play in fostering a holistic organisational approach (strategy, culture, processes, competencies, …) to collaboration.

Collaboration to tackle online abuse and exploitation of children; a case study from the Philippines

This case study on the establishment and functioning of an innovative consortium model to address online abuse and exploitation of children in the Philippines was written by a PBA Associate and a colleague of hers. It was commissioned by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Click here to read the paper.

Sneak preview of the new ‘Innovation Partnerships: The Masterclass Series’

From idea to impact: Partnerships for innovation

All innovation requires some form of partnership to get through to scale or maturity. If you’re innovating, you’re not doing it alone.

Join us on 17-18 November, as we share a short taste of our new course ‘Innovation Partnerships: The Masterclass Series’, coming February 2022.

You will learn about practices, frameworks and skills that specifically support you in managing collaboration across the innovation cycle. Click here to learn more.

PBA Associates and innovation experts Ian Gray and Michelle Halse are pleased to invite you to a 90-minute learning space to share current thinking and approaches in this field. The live-webinar is a free taster for the new “Innovation Partnerships – The Masterclass Series“ brought to you by Gray Dot Catalyst and Living Collaborations in association with PBA.

Sign up now and share this opportunity with your colleagues.

The Power of Questions

Gandhi once said „The power to question is the basis of all human progress.“ The same could be said for progress in partnerships.

In this edition of Stories from Practice we present a paper on how systemising the art and science of posting questions can shape collaborative processes, and help unearth deeper layers of understanding.

Being confined to digital spaces during the pandemic, Australia based partnership expert KYLIE SHAE reflected on the changed setting and how this impacts the way she can initiate meaningful conversations to support her partnership work.

„In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolded in 2020, this paper explores the use of questions as a powerful partnership intervention tool. When a partnership broker’s field of view is condensed to a zoom window, deep consideration of the questions that frame our partnership discussions can help maximise our effectiveness. Drawn from personal reflections and the concept of strategic questioning developed by Fran Peavey, a process for framing questions is introduced, emphasising clarity of purpose, consideration of how and by whom questions are delivered, and the partnership broker’s reflection on their qualities as questioner and listener.”

Read Kylie’s paper here and let us know how you integrate questioning in your brokering work on Twitter and LinkedIn.