Partnerships

Partnerships have rightly become something of a buzzword within urban regeneration. The inspiration comes from the USA and the Anglo-Saxon world, and all the projects we have studied in those parts of the world have partnership as a central theme in their solution models. Originally, the idea arose as part of the privatisation wave, where one of the main intentions was that the public sector could learn from the private sector.

The idea behind partnerships is quite simply that one gathers together the different stakeholders in the development of the local community in order to achieve a synergetic effect. Representatives from the public sector, trade and industry and the local community participate in setting up common goals and visions.

Most partnerships reach a stage where they achieve a simple synergetic effect (called resource synergy in the Scottish literature). It is all about integrating and coordinating resources and initiatives for greater efficiency and better utilisation.

The ultimate goal must be to achieve so-called political synergy. That is really a case of 2+2=5. New perspectives and innovative solutions are developed. Suddenly one sees things differently and discovers new paths.

The experience from Ireland, Scotland and the USA shows that a lot can be achieved by this route - particularly with businesses on board. The results in the form of falling unemployment, a higher level of education and new industry and service firms are impressive.

The danger of partnerships is, however, that the strong parties (often businesses, which possess the resources) tend to take control. The individual partners have different resources in the form of money, time expertise and power. It is therefore important to clarify from the very start of the partnership what power and authority the individual members are to have. One must remember that the individual partners have a hinterland and that many important decisions are actually made there. This can mean that the residents, for example, feel that they have no real influence. If the partnership is to hold, the residents must also have a sense of ownership of the project and have a realistic idea of the actual decision-making paths. The partnerships we have seen in the USA are both less and more instrumental than European partnerships, which often have a tendency to grow large. The American partnerships have usually drawn up a real contract, whereas the European ones are informal and flexible. In the USA it is also characteristic that a partnership is formed in connection with an application for funds. Here, the partners are usually good at cooperating in the application phase, but problems arise when the projects have to be implemented. Despite the differences, we can derive the following main recommendations:

1. A partnership is not a static quantity but a process. It is simply a means of achieving a common goal. It is a good idea to create a company or an association with a set of articles and rules on the partnership, but real contracts can be too binding. Some measure of freedom should be given if a creative synergetic effect is to develop.
2. It is important that the object or objects of the partnership are the same for all parties. We have seen partnerships established for many different reasons. It can be the problem itself that leads to the formation of partnerships, it can be an official policy, or it can be a means of gaining funding.
3. The different economic, environmental and social objectives must be identified, and the action must be prioritised.
4. The public sector must undertake to make the necessary contribution to a positive, long-term development, and activities from different parts of the public sector must be coordinated.
5. The residents must be among the main players. If there is no local organisation, one must be built up.
6. No more stakeholders than absolutely necessary must be involved. In this connection, a stakeholder analysis should be carried out so that the number of partners can be reduced. The individual partners' interests and the power behind them must be included in the analysis.
7. The success of a partnership is very dependent on individuals. It is important to appoint the right people, who have competence and who can help to create a continuous process.
8. Rapid, visible successes, parties and celebration of milestones are very important to the success of a partnership. One must remember to set time and resources aside for such activities.

University partnerships

In the USA, the Ministry of Housing (HUD) has launched a programme called Community Outreach Partnership. The idea is that American universities should leave their ivory towers and look out of the window. They will often see decayed areas with complex problems.

The aim of the programme is to create a higher scientific basis for planning in the areas. Local business life must be strengthened. Housing conditions must be improved and health must be enhanced. The main objective must be formulated on the basis of the needs of the local area. It must not be the universities' interests that govern the partnership.

The partnership is based on a contract, and the parties to the contract are HUD, the university and the local community. At least three faculties are required to participate in the partnership. The partnership manages a centre where the local residents can obtain free advice and guidance from experts and active students.

Partnership to combat unemployment

The Finglas-Cabra partnership is supported by the EU. The partnership was established in 1991/92 and builds on a longstanding tradition of resident cooperation in the area. The board consists of 9 local residents, 6 representatives of different public bodies, 3 trade union representatives and 3 employer representatives.

The partnership is a working partnership that is characterised by common goals, mutual respect, the will to cooperate and share information, responsibility, knowledge, skills, decisions and expenses. The partnership works mainly on job creation and company development but also supports local residents' organisations and physical projects that benefit the environment or improve the infrastructure.

A partnership with 11 years' experience 

The partnership in Castlemilk was established for the purpose of revitalising the area. The model was given by the state. The partnership includes representatives from the County, the District Council, Scottish Homes, the Board of Health, the Government, the local community, a business-support group, Enterprise Trust, local trade and industry and the Job Centre. The partnership has a board headed by the state (the Scottish Office). The board has 24 members, which has proved to be too many. It would have been useful if the local authority had practised cross-sectoral cooperation before coming to the meetings so that they could have acted as a single unit. The board has appointed a number of working groups and acts as the employer of the implementation team carrying out the projects. The partnership has been particularly successful in the employment field. Old public buildings have been converted into a business park and training centre. Unemployment has fallen dramatically and a better link has been established with other job areas in the region. New firms have come to the area and crime figures have fallen. The very ambitious objectives in the housing field have also been achieved. After 10 years in operation, the partnership has decided to continue for at least another four years. Despite problems with impenetrable power factors and a many-headed local authority, the partnership must be said to be sustainable.

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