Author: Phill Butler | visionSynergy

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Phill Butler is an author and internationally acknowledged expert in partnerships and strategic alliances. He has led the way in developing missional partnerships among Christian organizations in more than 70 countries for nearly three decades. Phill is the founder and current Senior Strategic Advisor of visionSynergy, and was the previous founder and director of Interdev and Intercristo. In his earlier years, Phill was an international radio and news correspondent with ABC News.

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This article is part of a series on major issues that leaders may encounter in the lifecycle of mission networks and partnerships. This article outlines five key points of advice to help you navigate the issue of evaluation and reporting.

 

Operational Issues In Partnership: Evaluation & Reporting

 
The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:26, “I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”

In the same way, effective mission partnerships do not “run aimlessly” or “beat the air”. They stay focused on turning talk into action as they work together to achieve their shared goals. One of the key attributes of an effective partnering initiative is the discipline of regular evaluation and reporting.

Successful mission partnerships constantly evaluate both the process (how well you are working together) and the product (what you are actually accomplishing). Perceptions are everything, which is why evaluation goes hand-in-hand with reporting. If you don’t report on what’s happening – if you don’t make it visible – many people will simply assume that something is wrong.

The following are five key points that will help you in the evaluation and reporting of your partnership work:

 

1. Strive to realize initial expectations and make early successes

 
One of the most remarkable and satisfying benefits of an effective partnership is that working together brings hope. By helping people work together, you help them develop hope for what can be – dreams that never could be realized if they continued to work alone.

But eventually, hope has to be realized. When expectations are raised and not fulfilled, hope dies and often turns to disillusionment. When positive expectations are realized and people know about it, you have fuel for even greater hope. Partners need to develop trust in both the people and the process of partnership. They need to trust that the partnership can actually work.

For that reason, you need early successes. The limited and achievable objective(s) that your group set as their first priority must be achieved. If group members sense that coming together in the partnership has really demonstrated its value, they will be encouraged, continue to participate, possibly even more enthusiastically, and consider more significant objectives. But failure to meet the group’s initial objectives will engender disappointment, reinforce the view that Kingdom collaboration doesn’t work, and make reviving interest in the partnership doubly difficult.

 

2. Keep your process and program outcomes in perspective

 
None of us gets involved in developing a ministry partnership just for the fun of it! You have a vision. It is a high priority and can make a real difference – if the potential players are willing to join hands. What was the original dream God gave you? Have you thought through what success will look like? Many collaborative efforts break down simply because there is or was no clear agreement on the destination for the journey!

Almost all partnerships have both objective elements that are frequently quantitative – they can be counted or measured – and subjective elements that deal with more qualitative issues and outcomes. Qualitative elements include relationships, policies, processes, organizational structures, and opinions. It is helpful to have your team discuss these elements – always remaining ready to modify your approach once the group actually gets underway and you start experiencing the reality of both process and program results.

In the early going, meeting your objectives is often heavily oriented toward process rather than program outcomes. The reason? A fair amount of process work is usually required to put the key elements of the partnership in place before you can start working specifically on the vision that originally motivated you.

There is an old proverb which says, “Don’t confuse the building that houses your work with the work itself.” While the building may be important functionally and aesthetically, it is a means to an end, not the end in itself. Always keep your ultimate goal in mind. Usually that is changed lives, relationships, and priorities.

In moving to the operational phase of a partnership, it is often easy to be totally engrossed in getting the key elements of the collaboration in place. Once you have moved into the working phase of operations – the real reason you came together in the first place – it is important to keep all eyes focused on the primary goal(s) you had from the beginning.

 

3. Aim for progress, not perfection

 
As you move forward, it’s important to remember that no process is perfect. It’s natural that problems will arise in achieving your partnership or network’s initial vision. But many times you don’t have to achieve absolutely 100% of your objectives (assuming you have clearly defined how you will measure “success”). What is important is that you have made strong progress, are clearly headed in the right direction, and your partner ministries and their personnel can see how progress to date will allow the group to be successful.

The other critical element is that everyone in the group has been kept fully informed about how things are going – no secrets, no covering up. Active, positive communication is the core of strengthening ownership and trust in your group and its collaborative process.

Here are two stories which illustrate the importance of expectations and communication in the process of working together in partnership:

 

Story #1

 
The long-range vision was to see hundreds if not thousands coming to Christ in a large people group where there were virtually no believers. The partnership involved radio, Bible correspondence courses, literature, and personal witness and discipleship ministries. The group decided that a new radio program in the local language was key to opening the doors, establishing relationships, and doing the “planting and watering” – all as part of a long-range strategy that would eventually involve all the ministries.

Just designing the new radio series, recruiting production and on-air staff (some had to be trained), clearing air time, and presenting test programs to focus groups of listeners was a complex process. Original estimates were that first programs could be tested within four months and on the air in six months. After four months the group was well behind schedule. Recruitment and training of talented people in the heart language was very challenging. But they had made encouraging progress. Everyone in the partnership was kept informed; a decision was made to have the first test programs done by the six-month mark, then to bring all the partner ministries together at that point to not only hear the programs but also to read and review the response from the focus groups.

Despite the challenges and slipped schedule, group interest remained high, everyone affirmed the decision to move forward, and all came to the six-month review meeting. At that time the group reaffirmed the vision and the next steps. Even though they had faltered in their timetable, the essence of the vision was alive and moving forward—and everyone was aware of the information and involved in the decisions.

What do you think were the reasons hope stayed alive and momentum underway?

 

Story #2

 
Three local Christian high school coaches had led an initiative that involved teachers, some administrators, parents, and a number of area church youth pastors. The vision was to develop a sports camp during the summer that could potentially touch every middle and high school in the metro area. The challenge was huge. Clearly, it could only be realized through a collaborative effort.

The group’s Christian purpose was clear. The members wanted to expose young athletes in the area to Christ and his good news more specifically than they could on school campuses and through regular athletic programs. To get other area coaches to “buy in,” the group knew the program had to offer high quality training and modeling, be “values based,” and have strong, trusting relationships within the coaching community.

The partnership group decided to go forward and set two main objectives:

• Design the core curriculum of the summer sports camps and identify local coaches and parents who could teach and mentor the athletes.
• Talk personally with every area coach and get a commitment from at least fifty percent to endorse and promote the first year’s camps. This coach advisory group was crucial.

One team worked on the design and another on calling on the coaches. Work went well on the first objective, but those calling the other coaches ran into resistance. A number were interested, but a couple of influential coaches were not ready to endorse the initiative.

The two task forces were meeting together every two weeks to share their progress. When the second group began to run into resistance, they openly shared their challenges. Since some coaches had shown real interest and the group still believed deeply in the idea, they called their whole partnership group back together. They identified individuals who could strengthen the task force by calling on the area coaches, mounted a special prayer initiative, and revised their schedule. For the first year they might have to alter the plan, offering shorter winter camps instead of summer camps. But again, everyone was involved, saw real progress despite the problems, and remained committed.

The group missed their first summer “window” but kept moving forward, held a couple of well-received sports camps over winter and spring vacations, and were stronger and ready with an expanded initiative the second summer.

Despite the disappointments, what kept the group going?

 
Many partnerships or networks just begin to be really productive once they have been operational for two to three years. Often long-range goals involve change that is complex and takes a long time. We often say that one of the quickest ways to kill a partnership’s potential is to call a meeting and expect that everyone will show up, that they have a common vision, and that they will agree to move forward together. It’s the “Surely you must see the world the same way I do” syndrome.

Just as launching effective partnerships takes time, it takes time for them to mature and become productive. People have to get used to each other, build relationships, become comfortable with the shared vision and mutually accepted plans, and see that working together can actually produce positive results.

 

4. Create a clear “road map” to evaluate your progress

 
As we already said, it is vital to achieve those initial objectives – even if they are not the ultimate destination. By defining the important steps involved in getting to our goal, we are developing a road map for the vision. Road maps are important. They point to the destination; they help define the route, and they establish markers for measuring our progress. If this road map is in place, everyone involved can see the markers. They become points of focus for our mutual expectations and communications.

Without getting too complex, develop a road map that contains the main points and that everyone can understand. There are many tools and techniques that you can use – from simple checklists with due dates and responsible persons, to more complex project management tools (e.g. Work Breakdown Structures, Gantt charts, etc.), to even more sophisticated program evaluation techniques such as “logic models” and “results chains.”

As Albert Einstein once said, “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Do the first few drafts on a white board or flip chart so you can move things around easily. Once you’ve got a plan you feel comfortable with, you can take it down in some form that can be duplicated and shared. But stay flexible. You can’t afford to chisel it in marble! There will be too many variables! Expect change, and you’ll be rewarded.

To lay out the road map, we need to have first asked ourselves, “What will be different if we achieve our overall, ultimate goal?” You may be looking for change in individual lives, communities, institutions, or “the way things work.” Your big goal may involve change or indicators in all of these sectors. Even in local communities, the fabric of our daily lives is complex – made up of people, institutions, and relationships.

But working backward from your overall goal, the plans you put in place will give you natural points along the way at which to ask, “How are we doing?” A commitment to evaluating your progress can help in several ways. A pause to ask, “How are we doing?” is always healthy. It provides a breather and a natural point for reflection. It allows you to make course corrections, to ask, “What can we do better?” or, “How could we improve our approach?” It allows you to reaffirm your road map and overall goal. If course corrections are needed, stopping to discuss and agree on those points can be vital.

The worst possible scenario is to assume that everything is going okay. If we don’t stop to ask the “How are we doing?” question, we’re likely to find ourselves off course, confused, and disappointed.

The key is to clear define and agree on near- to medium-term objectives, on your way to the big goal or vision. This will help you and your group monitor, correct, and celebrate the progress on your journey. This means that evaluation needs to be ongoing. We recommend that a small team – possibly just two to three people – serves as your group’s evaluation team. When someone is specifically charged with this role, it’s more likely to actually happen! This evaluation team can help the partnership or network pause and reflect on that “How are we doing?” question, based on the objectives and overall goals the group has agreed on.

 

5. Build on your momentum and celebrate your progress

 
Once your partnership or network has been underway for a while, an annual, overall evaluation can provide the basis for both course adjustments and celebration of progress. This kind of annual evaluation can also be the occasion for the partnership or network to review its goals, objectives, and plans for the next twelve months. Reaffirming your course with the wider group’s participation strengthens the partnership and the sense of ownership and participation.

As a partnership matures, expectations involve more people and more complex objectives. Here are some things you can do to help realistically define and then meet the participants’ expectations:

• Work hard to keep initial objectives limited and achievable.
• Make sure everyone understands what the objectives are, how you’ll know if you’ve met the objectives (basis for evaluation/measuring), and what the timetable is for meeting them.
• As a partnership matures, it may develop multiple objectives for working toward its overall vision. Identifying multiple “milestones” for a single objective is helpful, allowing those doing the work and those getting news about the progress to deal with realistic, “bite sized” tasks.
• Define communications clearly: Who has responsibility to communicate, by what means (letter, calls, e-mail, personal updates?), with whom, how often, and regarding which aspects of the partnership’s efforts?
• Remember, once communications have been promised, those promises must be kept. Nothing destroys credibility (of people and the process) sooner than unmet communications promises.
• Finally, while people may have high hopes and expectations, they rarely expect perfection. Aspects of the partnership’s plans may not be completely achieved. What participants want to know is, generally, how well are we doing, and are we actually accomplishing anything by working together? Timely, reliable communication is vital – whether you have all the good news you would like to report or not.

 
As your partnership begins to realize its key program goals, you will naturally begin thinking about “What’s next?” You have come a long way and worked hard to get to this point. The challenge now is to:

• Sustain and strengthen the elements in your initiative that are critical to achieving your primary objectives. You may need to strengthen the structure, increase the number or diversity of participants, or revise the approach to the main challenge you’ve set for yourselves.
• Ensure that communication involves everyone in the initiative so no one is left in the dark. You want a high sense of participation in the partner- ship and ownership of the outcomes.
• Pray and think about the next stage in the partnership’s future. How can it be strengthened? How can the results be improved—qualitatively or quantitatively?

 
Above all, celebrate the progress you make! Acknowledge those who have made special contributions to the progress of the partnership or network. Let your success to date energize and encourage the group to continue toward the dream with even greater appreciation and confidence.

All great journeys are made of incremental steps!