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There are two fundamentally different paths to pursuing a partnership or merger between two organizations.
The first path takes place over time, it happens slowly, and is more organic. People start with small steps, such as sharing information, a joint project, or cross Board appointments. As trust builds, a decision is made to initiate a joint program. Later, the two agencies may come closer together, sharing space and administrative resources, or even deciding to merge. Decisions are made when the time is right, when people are ready. And, the level of partnership that is reached is one that fits the two organizations.
The second path is quicker, and more rational. It starts with a “need” to partner or merge, often for organizational sustainability reasons in reaction to crises and changing environments. This path can also work well, but needs much wiser leadership, and likely external facilitation, as there is less time to get to know each other naturally.
Typically, there are two phases in this second path, before a formal decision is made to partner. Reading the story from Delta and Appendix P should help here.
In the first phase, the emphasis is on reaching a decision to partner in principle. The steps will likely involve:
- Putting together full factual pictures of each agency
- Gathering perceptions of the potential benefits and drawbacks of partnering or merging through interviews with key Board members, managers, funders, and community stakeholders
- Preparing a background paper on the possible partnership or merger, outlining the benefits, drawbacks, and options
- Holding a full discussion between the two Boards to reach consensus on the benefits and challenges, and the kind of partnership that makes sense
- Holding separate Board meetings to make a decision to proceed or not, in principle.
In the second phase, the attention shifts to overcoming the challenges to partnering that have been identified during the first phase.
This may mean:
- Ensuring that funders are in full support of the partnership, and will not reduce their funding commitments
- Resolving issues with the new legal structure if this is needed
- Making a decision about the future leadership and governance of the new partnership
- Communicating the potential partnership throughout each agency
- Strengthening the relationships between the two agencies
- Making final decisions to proceed or not.
Once a formal decision has been made to go ahead, then there is considerable work to do over a number of years to initiate, design, and implement the partnership or merger.
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