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Building Partnerships

The Benefits of Building a Partnership

  • Enhances physical and financial resources for a project
  • Enhances the quality and effectiveness of your research
  • Expands your project outcomes and impacts
  • Increases chances of grant success

 

Partnerships are More Effective Than the Individual Because:

  • They further support your organization’s mission
  • They provide greater access to resources
  • They create alliances that will last long after the project is complete
  • They allow you to share authority over a project
  • They provide opportunities to co-manage a project

 

How to Find Potential Research Partners

  • Search the BCEOHRN Member Database for researchers with needed expertise
  • Attend networking events
  • Consider those you already know:
    • your personal networks
    • former colleagues or employees
  • Search the membership and attend meetings of your professional associations
  • Research established organizations
    • Universities and Colleges
    • Hospitals and clinics 

 

Clinicians and University Researchers: An Example of a Beneficial Partnership

  • Clinicians and university researchers would both benefit from building partnerships
  • Increase the experience and expertise on the team and improve chances of success
  • Broaden the scope of your research to enhance the impact on end users
  • Search the BCEOHRN Member Database for researchers with expertise your project needs

 

Suggested Steps for Developing Partnerships

  1. Share your vision with potential partners
  2. Build relationship with potential partners through participation in cultivation meetings
    • Early discussions should include all the appropriate stakeholders
    • Identify who will be the key decision-makers
  3. Discuss and create a tentative process your partnership will follow
    • Identify expected outcomes for partners and participants
    • Outline the impact of your project
    • Set some specific goals for involvement of partners and participants
  4. Clearly outline your organization’s needs
    • What are the funding requirements?
    • How much personnel time will be needed for research activities?
  5. Establish roles and responsibilities of the research team members
  6. Discuss and establish your research goals
  7. Identify appropriate accountability procedures
    • How will conflict be resolved?
    • How will project changes be addressed?
  8. Define project operation protocols
    • Decision making
    • Reporting

 

Maintaining Your Partnership

  • Maintain regular communication with partners
    • Host effective project meetings
    • Provide updates to all stakeholders of your progress and successes
  • Evaluate the impact your partnership is having
    • Make use of project evaluations (formal)
    • Host focus groups (informal)
  • Celebrate your accomplishments together
    • Showcase your partnership in newsletters, annual reports, and publications
    • Organize and host a community celebration
    • Organize and host a research event

 

Examples of Competition and Project-Specific Partners

  • University of Northern British Columbia
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Victoria
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Health Canada
  • BC Cancer Agency
  • Aboriginal Communities
  • BC Ministry of Health
  • Public Health Agency of Canada
  • BCEOHRN Members
  • Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
  • Lung Association
  • Provincial Health Authorities
  • Environment Canada

 

Need assistance? Contact Dr. Tanya Wahbe, Research Capacity Development Officer.

 

Toolkit Continued: Funding Sources

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Last updated April 02, 2009