Authentic Partnerships

Posted byKatri BertramPosted inBlogTags:, , ,

In this blog, we discuss how authenticity of partnerships is key to impact. Key lessons are summarised at the end of this blog.

Is this for real (or just for show)?

Why are partnerships founded? For all sorts of reasons…

Around the September 2024 “Summit of the Future” — a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation” — expect to see numerous press releases announcing new partnerships. These will, according to public statements, among other:

  • Accelerate and scale impact
  • Catalyze change and progress
  • Set countries on track to deliver SDG goals.

If you were a fly on the wall in private discussions deliberating the founding of these partnerships, you could hear, for example:

  • Donor expectations to partner
  • Pressure to announce something new
  • Novelty factor to increase media uptake
  • Keeping leadership happy by showcasing meetings and photo-ops with peers.

Not all partnerships that are founded (or continue to exist) aim to deliver impact. With less than 15 percent of SDG targets on track, it is clear that many partnerships are not delivering sufficiently — if at all. What’s going wrong?

Not all partnerships that are founded (or continue to exist) aim to deliver impact. With less than 15 percent of SDG targets on track, it is clear that many partnerships are not delivering sufficiently — if at all.

Authentic partnerships - A checklist

As outlined above, there is often a disconnect in what is announced publicly and what is driving partnerships behind the scene. Partnerships are in this case not authentic. In the worst case, they were never set up to deliver more impact.

It is difficult to measure authenticity, just as it is challenging to define trust in partnerships. Authenticity is usually associated with honesty, transparency, and in the business and management world most commonly defined as a leadership and communication trait. An authentic partnership of course aims to be meaningful and is able to showcase measurable impact. Yet authenticity requires more. We propose the following 5-point checklist:

  1. Clear, measurable targets. Are partnership targets clear and have partners committed to measure the partnership’s contribution to these targets?
  2. Impact not interests. Are targets explicitly set to drive impact (and not fudged in a way that drives partner interests instead)?
  3. A clear plan. Is there a plan beyond “hooks” around media moments and pragmatic “windows of opportunity”?
  4. Not just a photo-op. Is there any substance beyond communication opportunities and moments?
  5. Leadership accountability. Will leaders be held accountable if the partnership they commit to does not deliver? This requires honesty and accountability also from donors and funders.

An authentic partnership of course aims to be meaningful and is able to showcase measurable impact. Yet authenticity requires more.

Key points summarised:

  • Not all partnerships that are founded (or continue to exist) aim to deliver impact.
  • A 5-point checklist can help ensure partnerships are authentic, and set up and continue to exist to drive impact.
  • With less than 15 percent of SDGs on track, this checklist should also be used around the 2024 “Summit of the Future”.

For questions, feedback, or input, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us here.

Published by Katri Bertram

Katri has worked in global health, global public policy, and international development for 20 years, and is a mom of four children. She is driven in her work to ensure that all people can live healthy lives, equity becomes a reality, and the power of inclusive partnerships is leveraged for more impact. Katri most recently worked at the German Federal Ministry of Health on global health, focusing in particular on Germany’s G7 Presidency in 2022, G20, and the Ministry’s partnerships with non-state actors. She previously worked at the World Bank, where she was a member of the leadership team, heading External Relations (governance, fundraising, partnerships, and communications) for the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) and worked in External Relations at the World Bank’s office for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. She has also worked for Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation that works in 120 countries, where she as a member of the global executive leadership team headed global advocacy, policy, and campaigning. Katri is a graduate of the London School of Economics (Master in International Relations), the Hertie School (Master in Public Policy), and the University of York (Bachelor in Economics and Politics). Katri is fluent in English, German, and Finnish. She has received scholarships from Chevening, the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation (FES), Berlin School for Transnational Studies (BTS), the Finnish Government (CIMO), and the Hertie Foundation. Katri lives in Berlin/Germany and is Finnish by nationality. Also follow Katri on LinkedIn, Twitter, and on her personal blog, and follow her initiative on partnerships in international development (PFI) and having children and a career in Germany (KarriereFamilie). The contents of all blogs are personal and do not reflect the positions of any employers.

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