The widespread pursuit of partnerships and collaborative relationships is one of the most significant trends in community organizing and development in the 1990s. Whether it s collaboration among local institutions or efforts to bring together diverse groups of neighborhood residents, community organizations throughout the United States are recognizing the importance of partnerships for leveraging resources, building power, strengthening the democratic process, and achieving meaningful neighborhood change. Within the community organizing and development arenas, discussions about partnership building typically focus on determining which residents or institutions should be included in the partnership and how to get these partners on board. However, bringing partners to the table is only the first step in the collaborative process. Equally important is how the partnership will be structured once it is formed.
Structure can have a profound impact on a partnership s success.
Community-building organizations often believe that in order to create an inclusive, democratic partnership, formal structure should be kept to a minimum. As a result, they tend to use open and flexible processes rather than developing explicit and enforceable rules and guidelines for interaction between the partners. This makes it particularly difficult for structureless groups to attract and retain low-income participants. It s not that low-income people have nothing to say, we just feel that we don t have a way in. In partnerships among organizations and institutions, lack of formal structure undermines mutual accountability and limits the potential for meaningful cooperation.