3.40 There was some concern that too many current partnerships are ineffective. A number of contributing factors were identified in this regard relating primarily to membership and the appropriateness of the approach, but also touching on the absence of co-terminosity and the need for partnerships to have a clear focus and adequate resources. In addition, one group also suggested that the main reason partnerships fail is that too often partnerships are not brought together voluntarily, but are constructed or required in order to access funding. These involuntary partnerships, it was stated, are from experience the most ineffective.
3.41 Almost all groups consulted emphasised the importance of attracting and engaging the right individuals and providing them with appropriate training and support. There was general agreement that more training is needed to develop capacity and that those at the local level didn't always get the support or the training they needed. In addition to the individual skills and expertise which they might bring, the key requirement was that they had sufficient authority and expertise to take relevant and appropriate decisions on behalf of their parent organisations. There was some concern that as the number of partnerships grow it becomes more difficult for organisations and sectors to meet this demand and to provide representation at a sufficiently senior level. The growing utilisation of formal partnerships therefore has the potential to undermine the overall effectiveness of this approach.
3.42 If partnership is to be effective in the long term, this is a problem which must be addressed. There was a perception among most groups interviewed, that government has a tendency to create new partnerships for new initiatives and as such is a primary contributor to the proliferation of partnerships. In this context it was suggested that, as a first step, there is a need for a more coordinated and considered approach from government to stop the unnecessary creation of new partnerships where existing arrangements could be utilised.
3.43 Following on, there was also general agreement that there may be a need to consider rationalising existing partnerships. However, this was qualified in that rationalisation should not become an end in itself, and should only be undertaken where a partnership is not effective or rationalisation is likely to result in more effective arrangements. One group suggested that the focus should be on administrative structures rather than the partnership itself, and the Magherafelt Area Partnership was presented as one model in this regard.
3.44 One group cautioned that rationalisation could also have negative consequences by creating large unfocused partnerships with too many objectives or areas of interest. All groups agreed that a key requirement for an effective partnership was a limited number of focused objectives. Recognising such concerns it may be assumed that there is therefore a need to balance any rationalisation with the need to maintain focus and ensure that partners could continue to see value both in their own contribution and the wider role of the partnership.
3.45 Local government representatives, however, offered the contrasting view that it would be possible to have for example only one formal partnership operating at district council level. The focus could be maintained and it could be workable, it was suggested, if the distinction was made between formal partnership and partnership working. The group suggested that many issues taken forward by current formal partnerships could be addressed as effectively if not more so by an informal partnership approach.
3.46 It was also highlighted that while there may be kudos in setting up partnerships, there is often a failure to consider when the partnership should end. As a result, it was suggested, there are a number of partnerships which continue to exist despite the fact that they no longer have a clear role.