Partners for Sustainable Leadership
A new model for establishing new Partners Centers for Conflict and Change Management
Addressing a global demand for more leadership and management capacity in developing countries, the GE Foundation and Partners for Democratic Change cooperatively built a new global model for establishing and scaling-up national, sustainable Centers on governance, rule of law, and civil society development with a focus on conflict and change management.
For 20 years Partners has responded through its national Centers to a widespread demand for more capacity and leadership to manage interactions between and among government, market and civil society actors in developing and transitioning countries. The shortage of these critical skills arrests development, thwarts good governance and market performance, and hampers civil society development. In response, Partners’ Centers promote management and leadership skills while increasing local and national capacity to manage conflict and change. On average over the past 20 years Partners built one Center every 18 months, garnering unique experience and knowledge of how to establish a self-sustainable, national Center. Under Partners for Sustainable Leadership up to 10 national Centers will be established through 2011, dramatically scaling-up Partners ability to address the local demand for leadership and change management skills globally.
New Approach for Implementing Tested Model. Partners for Sustainable Leadership scales up Partners’ tested new Center development success. The Program focuses on identifying and selecting a local social entrepreneurial leader in the target country, who receives extensive training to establish a local Center. The leader spearheads the development of the Center, building in-country political and donor relationships, programs, board of directors, and staff. This is achieved through continued training and in-country mentoring from Partners and existing Centers over a three-year period.
Recruiting Entrepreneurial Leaders. Partners selects leaders locally who exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit and track record, possess a basic background in conflict resolution skills and have the ability to be perceived as neutral. They are risk-takers, socially aware and seeking to make a lasting difference in their societies. These leaders are incorporated as Fellows of the Sustainable Leadership Program, and receive a stipend to concentrate 110 percent of their energies on creating a new Partners Center. The Fellows are central to the success of the Centers, as they incorporate societal and institutional needs and cultural norms into the fabric of the Centers methods and programs.
Building Sustainable Institutions. The Fellows receive training as a group in Washington, DC, and each Fellow is paired with an established “mentoring Center.” Partners and the mentoring Centers facilitate the transfer of the knowledge and skills required to create and manage a neutral, professional and sustainable NGO. Partners guides the Fellows as they carry out in-country needs assessments, invite respected, in-country individuals to the board of directors, hire local staff, create management and financial systems, attract local funding, and acculturate and apply tested change and conflict management processes in a variety of contexts. New Centers develop business and work plans designed to adapt and apply best practices to deliver programs and training and consulting services in the areas of conflict resolution, change management and public participation. Creating an acculturated, in-country capacity to address change and conflict, a skilled staff, and focused business plan create the foundation for Center sustainability.
Knowledge Dissemination. The new Centers join Partners for Democratic Change International, the global network of Partners Centers, gaining access to its knowledge trove. Building on Partners’ platform of achievement, experience, and expertise, and drawing on the PDCI knowledge bank and the talents and assets of the 17 national Centers, the Sustainable Leadership Fellows build their Centers using the latest methodologies, innovative programming, and organizational models. Partners’ Knowledge Management System enables Centers to access best practices, training programs, project designs and reports, and materials from all the Centers. This knowledge trove is available to all the Centers, and provides new Centers the opportunity to readily disseminate change and conflict management expertise in their countries.
Leveraging for Success. Partners for Sustainable Leadership is designed to leverage resources for the new Centers. Partners brings to prospective donors funding resources, an extensive Leaders’ training and mentoring program, and organizational and sustainability expertise. Utilizing its existing network of national Centers, Partners is able to reduce the cost of in-country training and mentoring programs, enabling Partners to provide prospective donors with an attractive program. Partners works with in-country and international donors to support the global Leadership Program, local Centers and local Center programs. Partners for Sustainable Leadership relates to the goals of many donors to strengthen the capacity of future leaders and institutions, promoting peace, good governance, and societal stability.
Partners' 2009 Sustainable Leadership Fellows:
Partners' 2008 Sustainable Leadership Fellows:
