2.34 Partnership is an approach which has become increasingly popular in all sectors in recent years. In the public sector context, this reflects the fact that increasingly governments are dealing with interconnected problems that cannot be addressed by a single strand of government. True partnership, recognising the multi-faceted nature of public policy, may often be the only way to address some of the most challenging social and economic issues facing government. However, building and sustaining effective partnerships is not without risks, it is difficult, time consuming and often expensive.
2.35 Partnership arrangements need to be appropriate to the context, well thought through and managed if they are to achieve their potential. In particular, the partnership must have clear agreed objectives, it must be adequately resourced, and above all the right people need to be involved and committed to working together to achieve objectives.