Whether due to Covid-19 lock down / social isolation realities, partner locations being hard to reach or for reasons of resource efficiency, partnering remotely is rapidly becoming the new normal. This inevitably changes the way partners are able to relate to each other and work together. It requires us (especially those of us operating in the partnership brokering role) to re-think our approaches and to build new ways of working that combine creativity (‘art’) and rigour (‘science’) in order to turn perceived partnering challenges into real (perhaps unexpected) opportunities.
The aims of the course – both for the course team as well as for the course participants – are to:
Explore this new paradigm and create new knowledge from the first-hand experiences of the group
Build our understanding, skills and capacities as partnership practitioners
Enable us to broker partnerships remotely in ways with confidence and courage in a world that needs collaboration more than ever before
It is designedfor people who want to develop their skills and confidence in working remotely to broker, build, manage and optimise all forms of multi-stakeholder collaboration and offers a unique opportunity to explore how those brokering remote partnerships can:
Build strong working relationships with partners who may come from different cultures, value systems and / or types of organisation and who only rarely (if ever) meet face to face
Build on diversity – respecting each partner’s priorities / needs and valuing what each partner brings
Grow partnering / partnership brokering skills (both their own and their partners) that enable the delivery of strong partnerships and model good partnering practices
Evolve remote partnering strategies appropriate to each participant’s context and circumstances
Experimentwith new tools and approaches in a safe learning environment
Consider how best to work withdonor requirements for due diligence and compliance alongside a more collaborative and less hierarchical model
Assess the effectiveness and added valueof remote collaboration – what it is achieving and how, by being challenged, it could achieve more
The course runs over a 5-week period and requires participants to commit around 4 hours per week to pre-reading, participation in online sessions and completing weekly tasks including the compiling of a weekly journal. Online support is provided through a range of inputs including: a course work book, videos, interactive modules, small group work and weekly 1.5 hour webinars .
Once you have enrolled for the course, you will be sent a copy of the COURSE MANUAL which is designed to accompany your journey through the course and which you are encouraged to look through in advance of week 1 of the course to give you an overview of what to expect.
The course is co-curated by two Authorised Practitioner Trainers from the Partnership Brokers Association who will provide in-puts during the course, facilitate dialogue and keep participants on track to complete the course successfully. The course is supported by a Course Administrator with considerable experience of working with individuals and groups on-line.
Certification: Each participant will produce a ‘journal’ (written, video or visual) that will be reviewed by a qualified partnership broker who has a strong background in remote partnering. Participants who complete the course requirements will be awarded a formal Certificate by the Partnership Brokers Association – the leading global organisation that provides international vocational training in partnership brokering.
This course is for partnership practitioners with responsibility for mobilising and managing partnerships in scenarios where those involved rarely (if ever) meet face to face. It is not a beginner’s course. If you are managing / brokering partnerships remotely, and you feel challenged and / or isolated in this role, this course will provide insight, knowledge, practical advice, ideas and an understanding of the skills required together with a community of support. Cohorts will be small (typically around 30 participants) to ensure attention can be paid to individual needs.
This course is part of the Remote Partnering Project (www.remotepartnering.org) that was crowd funded between 2016 and 2018 by a number of INGOs including ACT ALLIANCE, BRITISH RED CROSS, CARE, OXFAM, SAVE THE CHILDREN. Funding for the development of new materials and the on-line technology for this course was provided by the British Red Cross for which the Partnership Brokers Association is very grateful.
Quotes below are from graduates of the Certificate in Brokering Partnerships Remotely course:
“The resources shared were fantastic; the multi-platform delivery and opportunities for engagement were also very great and complimentary; the feedback and interaction with the organizers and facilitators was very helpful.”
“The course gave me hope and a sense of connection and belonging at a time of unprecedented stress and uncertainty as COVID-19 spread rapidly across the world changing everything we knew and took for granted. The course coincided with my first four weeks of working from home and the content and skills learnt became ever more relevant as the course progressed. It was eye opening and a real lifeline when we were all feeling like we had been cast out to sea and were floating further away from each on the waves. Thank you for providing this opportunity to build a raft and float these stormy seas together!”
“The course offered different ways of engagement, thanks to the ‘practice partnership’ activity in a small group it felt close to our real work. I gained new insights into the concept of partnership and gained more confidence in running online sessions with my partners.”
“There are undoubtedly few trainings in the world on this subject of such quality.”
“I’m always amazed at the process of PBA courses. They seem to pack a huge amount of learning into a relatively short time and force (or , more accurately, encourage) you into some meaty self-insights which always improve your practice and, in turn, your partnership outcomes. It’s the result of having the privilege to spend time thinking deeply about the partnerships, not staying solely focused in the partnerships”
“This course was very thought-provoking, informative and supportive of my learning and practice in building and managing partnerships. I have saved all the resources knowing I will likely refer to them often in the future, and continually have something to learn from them. It was a rich experience. Thank you.”
“The course has given me the confidence to be creative with the different types of approaches I have contemplated but never used. I have found it incredibly insightful, with a range of tools and techniques that I can adopt immediately.”
“We all now work remotely in partnerships. I did the first version of this course last year, and as we are now working more virtually… it was a good investment!”
” I learn best from mistakes, which is why I attempt to fail fast, but when there is a fear of failure the mistakes made often come out in explosive, unproductive and ultimately, damaging ways. Being able to apply a framework to the lessons learnt in previous partnerships has been one of the best parts of this course – I can see the mistakes, the lessons and the opportunities in a way that I can apply.”
“I am thrilled to up-grade my skills with this new Certificate in Brokering Partnerships Remotely. Thanks for always being cutting edge!“
” Covid-19 is the great motivator to try out different things in working remotely – whether with internal colleagues or with external partners”
“I feel more confident in how I am already approaching my partnership work but also now have further tools, techniques and approaches, which I am looking forward to applying.”
“I really found the Brokering Partnerships Remotely course deeply enriching and the skills and experience of the teachers was so profound. They managed to name so many things which would otherwise go unexpressed”.
“I am grateful for the way the course was structured.While giving an opportunity to explore critical issues related to brokering remotely, the course primarily aimed to uncover our potential and creativity for moving forward in our role of partnership brokers. For developing effective partnering approaches, the course made me continuously reflect how critical it is to draw knowledge and inspiration from various disciplines, ranging from art, to technology, to neurology, as well as to assess my partnering approach by asking myself: Am I doing the right thing? Am I am doing it the right way?”
“The course gave me a different perspective on how to do remote work. The importance of being intentional and not using the same approach as an in person meeting. It made me aware of the different skills and tools for remote partnering.”
“Loved the flexibility of watching the webinar on your own time if unable to join for the live version. This was a concern of mine but the training team made it very easy to participate!”
“My overall reflection is that I now feel much better equipped to fulfil my role as a remote partnership broker. I have a good grasp of the partnering cycle and the tools which I can use at different stages and sticking points. I am aware of the importance of the underlying values and principles and the need to co-create a shared vision. I feel more confident to share my ideas and realise that I have something unique to contribute.”
