'A partnership, by definition, serves both partners, without domination or unfair advantage.'
President John F. Kennedy, address in the Assembly Hall at the Paulskirche, Frankfurt, West Germany, June 25, 1963 -Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1963, p. 519.
81 Leading a partnership successfully requires influencing skills. Different partners may emerge to lead on different occasions, depending on the partnership or the topic under discussion. A local authority's statutory role as community leader does not automatically confer on it an agreed leadership position in partnerships. Local voluntary and community organisations will often contest the leadership role as they seek to represent their particular communities. Elected members may bring a political dimension to leadership that other organisations find uncomfortable and some councillors are resistant to others fulfilling the leadership role. This could be because they believe that the LSP, or other partnership, threatens their democratic legitimacy to represent their constituents and make decisions on their behalf.
82 If people perceive that one organisation or personality is too influential and dominates the partnership this can result in leadership tensions. For example, some LSPs are seen as council dominated, with the council 'running the machinery' and determining agendas and the culture of meetings. This can affect the degree of commitment from other partners. Tensions can also arise if the principal partners lack the flexibility to meet the needs of other partner organisations.
'… As a police officer, I avoid politics, because in some respects the political agenda often out drives the rational agenda.'
Police district commander
83 Some councils have tried to avoid dominating LSPs. Recent research for the ODPM shows that 47 per cent of LSPs have chairs from other sectors (LSP interim evaluation survey), drawing people from the voluntary or private sectors to chair them, or facilitating joint leadership (Ref. 16).
Case study 4 Strong leadership, a clear, shared vision at a corporate level and committed and experienced operational staff are features of the partnership between the London Borough of Islington and Islington PCT. A formal inter-agency Partnership Agreement and overall framework for joint working between the two organisations are in place, incorporating NHS 1989 Act Section 31 financial flexibilities and references to each organisation's vision and strategy. Key achievements to date include: • the formulation of joint priorities, policies and agreed outcomes; • setting up of appropriate structures for joint meetings and reporting, including a range of performance measures, some of which are shared; • close involvement of a Non-Executive Director of the PCT, the Executive Member for Social Services on the Board and the Performance Committee of the PCT in areas of partnership performance monitoring; • setting up a Joint Integrated Board (JIB), operating as a combined management team, comprising senior officers from the Council and the PCT; • the creation of joint senior level posts for commissioning and services; • formal procedures for dealing with conflicts of interest between partner agencies; and • clear strategic decision making and sharing of responsibilities for action. Both the Council Executive and the PCT Board can make decisions about partnership matters independently as well as together. Source: Managing Improvement through Partnerships, Audit Commission report for Islington health and social care agencies, January 2004 |