Partnering is a structured methodology for developing productive working relationships among all key stakeholders in a project or joint venture. The process has been typically used to foster collaboration between owners and contractors on a construction project, customers and suppliers developing an integrated delivery system, and venture partners in a variety of different initiatives. Partnering is a proven way to promote trust, respect and cooperation, reduce misunderstanding, and produce measurable results for all parties.

The major components of a Partnering relationship include . . .

• Shared goals
• Open communication
• Structured problem solving and action planning
• Win-win conflict resolution
• Regular assessment of team performance

The process begins with the major stakeholders agreeing to use a Partnering approach to conduct their project or venture. A facilitated Partnering Workshop ranging in length from one to three days is then held with representatives from all stakeholder groups in attendance. The workshop includes team building activities, creation of the team's mission, vision, values and goals, resolution of initial issues and concerns, and development of an evaluation process for the relationship.

The deliverables from a Partnering workshop include a:

• Partnering Charter, which documents the team's Mission, Goals and Objectives
• Report which summarizes the meeting discussion, agreements, and action plans
• Issue Resolution Process which documents how issues or disputes will be resolved and who will be involved at every level of the organization
• Partnering Evaluation Process that establishes a formal feedback mechanism to assess the health of the relationship on a regular basis.