MODULE

10
NETWORKING AND LINKAGING

Learning Objective: At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
1. define what is alliance building
2. explain each steps in alliance building and networking
3. be able to make good mission statement for an alliance
4. be able to know the techniques in getting potential partners
5. be able to identify data found in an Action Plan

Methodology : Lecture-discussion

Requirements : Attendance 40%

Group Activity 60%

100%

Content : What is an Alliance?

When Alliances are formed
Steps in Alliance Building
 Coming Together
 Building and Strengthening
 Strategic Planning
 Implementation of the Action Plan
 Evaluation
Synthesis

Time Allotment : 3 hours

WHAT IS AN ALLIANCE?

An alliance is an association of people, groups, or nations who agree to cooperate and

achieve a shared goal.
It is the coming together of persons, groups or nation, mutually committing to support
each other to achieve a desired goal.

When are alliances formed?

 Alliances are formed when there are needs or objectives that are perceived to be shared
like protection from a common enemy, or objectives to attain.

 Alliances are formed when aside from having common needs and objectives mutual trust
and respect and a willingness to commit are present.

Who are these Potential Allies?

Potential Stakeholders maybe the local government units from the barangay to the provincial
level, people’s organization, non governmental organizations, academic and research institutions,
media business associations, donor agencies, even armed groups from the government or
otherwise.

STEPS in ALLIANCE BUILDING

1. COMING TOGETHER- Before any alliance takes place one has to have a good
understanding about the project - the rallying point. It is responsive to the needs
identified by the beneficiaries themselves. Does its scheme manifest assurance of
continuity or sustainability? Are the key personnel of its management without doubt
qualified and committed? What can you offer as your counterpart in the alliance?
 Initiators for collaborative work come together due to:
1. need for action and
2. a common vision of a better community
3. other than knowledge about and access to potential partners,
initiators in alliance building must consider also the following:
a. Adequacy of Partners. The coverage of the collaborative
task determines the adequate number of collaborative
partners. Too many alliances may require a restructuring to
avoid confusion and unnecessary delays. Breaking the big
group into smaller groups and the big task into smaller ones
will help keep the alliance effective and efficient. The more
specific task will be assigned to the sub groups.
b. Interest and commitment of decision Makers. To facilitate
and strengthen the collaborative bond, major policy makers
and authorities of all collaborating stakeholders should be
drawn into line. Initiators must sell the idea of working
 together to them to get their interest and commitment. Once
you win them on your side, others will fall into line.
4. Threats but potential partners. Persons and Organization perceived
to be blocks to collaborative work that possesses the needed
resources and skills for a successful collaboration should be
influenced to join in. Sitting down with them to present the
advantages of collaborating with each other might work. There are
cases when staunch opponents become significant allies.
5. History of potential partners. It is also to consider how the person
or group worked with alliances in the past. Identifying the goat
from the sheep at the inception stage will help secure the viability
of the collaborative endeavor.
6. Skills, it is imperative to know what skills are needed to bring this
collaboration into success. Initiators of the alliance should look
into the personal and collective skills in the market of would be
partners.
7. Multi sectoral participation. Initiatives to collaborate tend to
involve only persons and institutions within the same field of
discipline and or mission. However, often needed data, skills,
resources and other form of support can come from persons or
groups belonging to other sectors.

2. BUILDING AND STRENTHENING

After identifying Potential partners, what more can be done?

In 1992, Apple and IBM rushed to do a joint venture called Taligent tasked to
create a new-object oriented operating system. This joint venture for a time
showed indicators of synergism. But later, the objective of creating a new
operating system failed. IBM took upon its shoulder the burden of the loss which
was said to exceed $150 Million.

What was wrong in that partnership? With all systems seemingly in their right
places at the outset, why did it fail? Why Apple and IBM succeeded for a while to
convince people that trust and respect were present in the years of their
partnership; the reverse actually happened. Their years of togetherness were
puckered with a number of lawsuits thrown against each other for patent and
technology infringement. Clearly, trust and respect were absent from beginning of
their alliance. This failure of an early alliance prototype teaches us to properly
establish the rules of engagement for creating a genuine, honest and transparent
alliance.

a. Getting Potential Partners to Engage

1. Gather as much information about the prospective
partner before meeting them. Conduct profiling of
potential stakeholders in the vicinity in terms of their
VGMO, programs, projects, target beneficiaries and
resources. Identify from the data the potential
 partners that have a role in addressing certain issues
or components of the project.
2. Know the decision-makers and the key players in the
organization. Invite them to your program
presentation.
3. Present the program in a simple, organized and
understandable manner.
4. Show the potential mutual benefits that can be gained
from collaborating.
5. Be attentive to the interests and cultural overtones of
potential collaborators.
6. Be clear with the exploratory intentions of the first
few meetings with potential partners.
b. Leveling off. By leveling off, partners create a base of
information accessible to all stakeholders to facilitate common
knowledge about partner’s self-interest, cultures and visions.
1. Self-interest is a powerful stimulant which when
properly understood and considered can work to the
advantage of the alliance. It should be clear to all
what each partner has something to gain from
collaborating. The more self-interest is openly
expressed, the deeper trust and respect develop
between or among collaborators.
2. Sensitivity and responsibility to be expressed and
implied cultural differences and similarities can
further enhance the level of respect and trust. Talking
candidly about cultural expectations and traditions
during formal and informal gatherings is important.
3. A shared vision ensures sustainability of
collaboration. A shared vision is an imagery of what
partners hope to create in the future. Formulating a
vision out of many individual or corporate visions is
difficult because it takes a lot of listening, thinking,
time and maturity. But, when partners are clear on
what desired ends the alliance is working to achieve,
they will be motivated and energized.

3. STRATEGIC PLANNING. This provides the framework for allied work; it is

divided into five (5) tasks:
 Formulation of the Mission Statement. The mission statement expresses
the particular of the general direction stated by the vision, the purposes,
values and beliefs of the alliance.
1. It must describe what must be achieved for whom
2. It must define the coverage of task.
3. It must express the desired objectives which is related to the
missions of individual or collective partners but somehow unique
from them.
 4. It must be clearly expressed for all partners to understand.

 Environmental and Capacity Assessment

1. Environmental assessment looks into the threats and the
opportunities external but affecting the collaboration.
2. Capacity assessment looks into internal strengths and weaknesses
and confronts the environment in the context of its perceived
capabilities. A hasty external and self-analysis may spell disaster
for the alliance. A careful analysis of both reinforces strengths and
fills in gaps consequently making the alliance stronger.
 Goal Formulation. A goal is a specific statement of what alliance commits
to do. This consists of the standard against which the progress of the
alliance is to be measured. Goals that span for a period of three years or
more are called long term goals and those that are immediate are dubbed
as short term goals.
1. A goal states desired achievements
2. It is realistic
3. It is measurable
4. It is specific
5. It is expressed in a simple and easily understood statement.
 Strategy Selection. To achieve the goals, appropriate strategy should be
selected.
1. An appropriate strategy must lead to goal realization
2. It must work within the bounds of available resources
3. It must be consistent with the mission Statement.
 Development of an Action Plan. Basing on the goals made, a plan of
action is made. The plan of action list down the steps to be undertaken.
The plan may best be arranged into a matrix for easy reference. The action
plan consists of the following data:
1. the activities to be undertaken
2. the partners responsible to carry out the activity
3. time frame for completion
4. accountability indicators
5. success indicators and
6. anticipated costs

4. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN. This is the time for the allied
partners to manifest their commitment to the mission and vision that they set for
themselves under this collaborative scheme. The implementation may begin by
piloting certain activities before going full scale. This allows partners to fill gaps
before resorting to full implementation.

5. EVALUATION. This stage is the time of knowing how the collaborative efforts and
strategies fare against the set standards. Evaluation may be conducted by all the
stakeholders of the alliance or it may be conducted by all the stakeholders of the
alliance or it may be conducted by entities external to it. AN evaluation tool that is
sensitive enough to measure degrees of efficiency, effectiveness, and other indicators
 of success should be designed. Invite the stakeholders to be present in the present in
the project’s evaluation and phasing-out activities.
 the whole collaborative process is subject to review and revision as more
allies are added, as new events unfold and as new directions are set.

SYNTHESIS

Building alliance or developing inter-agency collaboration is a systematic process of research,

group dynamics, planning, decision making, implementing and evaluating. Alliances increase the
quantity and the quality of resources enhancing service delivery and encouraging the better use
of available resources in addressing most common interest and goals. It also increases
opportunities for cultural exchange and cultural awareness and competence. However it is a
difficult process since it necessitates sensitivity to individual/ institutional and cultural
differences as well as sustained adaptation or coping up with the ever changing environment.
Moreover the act of collaborating can sometimes drag on to a loner time and may also take
considerable physical and psychological investments. A strong alliance is a product of sustained
effort and commitment of partners. Transparency, right motivation and trust from each partner
for all partners in the collaborative alliance are in fact the essential bond without which alliances
dissipates.

INTEGRATING ACTIVITY

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.

1. Define Alliance Building
2. Explain Each Steps in Alliance Building
3. How do you get potential partners to engage?
4. What makes a good mission Statement for an Alliance?
5. What makes a good Goal?
6. What are the Data found in an Action Plan?
7. Briefly explain the benefits of Inter-Agency Collaboration.

Exercise 2 (to be conducted on the second meeting)

Each group (with 10 to 11 members) will be assigned to form an organization (organization
should be community based - i.e. sanguniang kabataan, barangay youth clean and green club,
etc.). Group members will represent officers of the said organization. Each organization will be
briefly described including the organizations’ mission, vision and goals. (Facilitator can use the
mission, vision and goals of the University as an example).
Each organization should make an inventory of individuals and institutions/organizations
from all sectors who are your potential collaborative partners (this could be hypothetical
situations/partners). Write a brief description of the services they give to the community, their
resources, their key players, contact persons and means of contact. Use the matrix below to do
this activity.
This activity will be performed in the class using manila papers and to be presented in
the class.
 MATRIX FOR INVENTORY OF INDIVIDUALS
AND INSTITUTIONS/ORGANIZATIONS FROM ALL SECTORS
WHO ARE POTENTIAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

Name of Organization

Brief Description of
Organization

Vision

Mission

Goal

Individual/ Organization Services to Resources Key Contact Means of

Community Players Persons Contact