Development of clear goals: Each stakeholder in a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) has individual interests that must be aligned to establish common goals. Commitment and shared responsibility among partners are essential for developing a clear vision and effective strategies.
Equal responsibility: MSPs rely on co-creative processes where decisions are made collectively and equitably among stakeholders. A committed ‘core group’ of stakeholders is crucial in the initial phase to drive the MSP’s development and implementation.
High-level support: External actors, especially influential individuals in politics, play a significant role in the success of MSPs by maintaining momentum and mobilizing resources. Identifying and involving relevant institutions is key to enhancing the MSP’s influence, along with ensuring internal support within partner organizations.
Involvement of relevant stakeholders: Multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) aim to incorporate all relevant expertise, skills, and perspectives to find effective solutions to complex challenges. Identifying the necessary resources and key stakeholders is crucial for the development and implementation of solutions.
Respectful communication: Establishing trust between stakeholders is essential for successful MSPs, and this can be facilitated through respectful interaction and achieving initial successes. Secretariats play a vital role in maintaining communication, identifying lost trust, and suggesting ways to further develop the partnership.
Common ‘language’: MSPs face challenges due to stakeholders’ differing goals, organizational frameworks, and terminology. Recognizing and addressing these differences is important to develop a shared understanding, vision, and strategy, which can help align efforts effectively.
Neutral secretariat: Multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) require extensive communication, coordination, and process management. From the design phase to implementation, MSPs need a well-resourced secretariat with at least one person dedicated to coordination and process management, ensuring neutrality for credibility.
Inclusive and transparent decision-making and steering structures: MSPs rely on equal cooperation among all partners, necessitating transparent governance structures and procedures for equal access to decision-making processes. Effective steering in MSPs involves respectful dialogue, mutual learning, and fair integration of differing interests, requiring capacity development to enable stakeholders to contribute equally.
Sustainable resource mobilisation: MSPs often require significant human and financial resources based on their goals and scope, with costs for steering structures, communication, management, and monitoring. Regular checks should ensure the budget covers MSP activities, avoiding reliance on a single funding source to prevent one-sided influence, while making financial expectations and obligations transparent.
Results orientation: A clear focus on implementation and measurable results is essential for the success of a partnership. Demonstrating the direct relationship between resources invested and intended results is necessary to maintain long-term stakeholder commitment.
Clear roles: An effective multi-stakeholder partnership involves all necessary stakeholders, with each partner making specific and relevant contributions. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities, ideally set out in a written agreement like a memorandum of understanding (MoU), help ensure accountability and optimal use of skills.
Transparency: Continuous, cost-effective communication among partners and with the secretariat enhances partnership effectiveness. Transparency is vital, requiring accessible communication channels and platforms for all stakeholders to make informed decisions and interact as equal partners.
Process and results monitoring: MSPs can quickly identify new challenges and adapt their strategies through effective process and results monitoring. Transparent and participatory MEL mechanisms are vital for assessing the partnership’s effectiveness and adherence to established processes.
Learning processes and capacity development: The goal of MEL activities is to learn from both successes and failures to enhance future work. Continuous identification of lacking capacities at individual and organizational levels is essential for improving partnership effectiveness.
External communication: Reporting on lessons learned and results is crucial for stakeholders, funding providers, and the public, leading to increased support. Communication should be tailored to the audience, with formal reports for funding providers and engaging stories for the general public.
Context analysis: A thorough context analysis and evaluation of other stakeholders’ activities are crucial in the initiation phase. Collaboration among various stakeholders, like a core group of partners, helps compile relevant information and develop a shared understanding to avoid duplication and competition.
Dialogue and networking with other initiatives: Engaging in dialogue and networking with other relevant initiatives and MSPs is beneficial for all stakeholders. This promotes mutual learning and enhances the chances of achieving transformative impacts, with relevant events providing opportunities for interaction.
