Template first meeting agenda Who? Who will make it work? Question Comments Actions Timeframe Who are we? What does each of our organisations do? What are our priorities? What is core business? What are our organisational values? [include responses here] [consider whether any documents need to be exchanged – for example values statements, outlines of what each service does etc] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] Who will this partnership benefit? Who is the target client group? (for example, a particular demographic or people experiencing a particular legal issues) Will that client group benefit from the partnership beyond the current services they are receiving? [include responses here] [consider whether it would be helpful to record and distribute the outcomes of this conversation] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] Who will champion the partnership? Who in each organisation will drive the partnership? Who are the key contact(s) in each organisation? [include responses here] Note: the key contacts can be noted in the Memorandum of Understanding [if it is necessary to establish this after the meeting, note this as an action item] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion]
Who do we need to brief in our organisations (e.g. senior management, front line staff etc) in order to ensure the partnership is successful? [include responses here] [once a decision is reached about who needs to be briefed, agree on who will take on that responsibility within each organisation] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] Why? Why partner at all? Question Comments Actions Timeframe Will the partnership benefit our patients/clients? [include responses as to how the partnership will benefit clients – consider the Health Justice Partnership Factsheet to prompt this part of the conversation] [consider whether it would be helpful to record and distribute the outcomes of this conversation] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] Will the partnership benefit each of our organisations? [consider benefits like upskilling staff, secondary consultation opportunities, increased client engaged etc] [consider whether it would be helpful to record and distribute the outcomes of this conversation] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion]
How? How will the partnership be established, sustained and reviewed? Question Comments Actions Timeframe How will we establish the partnership? Will we enter a Memorandum of Understanding (see Template Memorandum of Understanding) to ensure we are clear about our understanding of the partnership? [decide whether an MOU is going to be prepared, remembering that it is not a legally binding document, but rather a document which sets out the intentions and commitment of the organisations. Review the templates available online (including Health Justice Australia’s MOU Resource Kit)] [if it is decided that an MOU will be prepared, determine who is responsible for drafting it or reviewing and adapting an available template] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] How will the partnership be governed? Do we want to establish a steering committee or membership group from within our organisations or externally to guide the partnership? If so, who are the best people to ask? Who will ask them? [consider the best framework for governing your partnership – what is most effective for your partnership might be informed by your organisational structures, capacity consideration, the level of formality in your partnership] [if you come to a decision on the appropriate governance structure, consider who be responsible for establishing that structure (including possibly the terms of reference for a steering committee of advisory group) and ensuring participation of the relevant individuals] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] How will we evaluate the partnership? What are we hoping to achieve? Is that aspiration realistic and capable of being measured? How will we measure the indicators of success? (for example, is there data we can gather? Will we [consider an evaluation framework at the outset of the partnership. This can be a simple outline of the indicators for success that you agree to for the partnership. It might also include a shared understanding of the type of data to be collected and how it will be gathered AND/OR a short client survey to evaluate the assistance provided to clients. Consider whether either [decide who will be responsible for developing an evaluation framework and any other agreed evaluation tools (e.g. client survey, data collection summary)] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion]
ask for testimonials? Will we conduct a survey of clients?) partner has existing evaluation resources that are helpful as a starting point] What? What will each of us contribute to the success of the partnership? Question Comments Actions Timeframe What resources will we need? (see Northern Territory Legal Aid Resource Pack here, including templates and links to helpful resources produced by Health Justice Australia and other organisations) [review the Resource Pack and consider whether you need additional resources] [if you wish to use resources in the Resource Pack, decide who will adapt the resources for the partnership. If you decide further resources are necessary, consider who will find or develop these resources] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] What are the values and principles that will guide this partnership? [consider the values set out in the Template Memorandum of Understanding for some examples of values you may use to guide the Partnership] [consider whether it would be helpful to record and distribute the outcomes of this conversation] [if actions are included, also indicate a timeframe for completion] What is each organisation’s realistic time allocation to the project (per week/per month)? [consider the legal clinic time and client work and the time health workers will spend on referrals. Also, if you have determined the key contacts and whether there will be a steering committee/advisory body, consider whether it is helpful to allocate specific times for HJP work to be completed] [consider whether it would be helpful to record and distribute the outcomes of this conversation] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion]
Do we want to establish communication protocols and processes to deal with challenges? If so, should we include these protocols in our Memorandum of Understanding? [consider whether it would assist to put communication protocols in place from the outset – this might include preferred methods of communication, first point of contact and a process for resolving challenges if they arise] [if communication protocols are considered helpful, you may wish to include the outcomes of this discussion in Schedule 1 to the Template MOU] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion] Do we want to develop a work plan or program logic so that we all know where we are going? [a plan with clear aspirations, outputs and outcomes may be helpful ensuring all staff involved in the partnership are on the same page, working towards shared goals] [if a work plan is going to be developed, who will be responsible for taking this on? How will you ensure there is sufficient input from both organisations?] [if actions are included, indicate a timeframe for completion]