Essential Evaluation: Networks/Partnerships

by

Early Stages

Vision Drives Everything

  • Is it a God idea rather than a personal or organization’s idea?
  • Is it too complex to be realized by any single person or ministry?
  • Can its outcomes be measured or objectively evaluated?
  • Does it align with the vision or mission of the participating ministries?

Exploring The Possibility Of A Network or Partnership:  Where Are You Now?

Do you have an active prayer strategy?

1. Have you stated the vision* or primary objective in simple, clear, compelling terms? ________
2. Have you identified the majority of the leaders or ministries relevant to your vision? ________
3. Have you talked personally with these ministry leaders about the vision**? ________
4. Have you asked each leader what they feel are the greatest challenges to real ‘breakthroughs’ regarding the vision?  ________
5. Have you identified who appear to be the ‘influential’ leaders regarding this issue? ________

6. Are at least 50% of those you have spoken with prepared to meet, pray, and work

together for at least one full day on this topic? 

 ________

* Examples of Network/Partnership Vision or Purpose:

“See an effective Gospel witness and local churches growing in XXX people group by (year)”

“Reduce human trafficking in XXX(city) by 50% by (year)”

“Train XXX (number) of local, lay leaders for effective church development in XXX (people group) by XXXX (year).

** The Primary Question:

If the challenge you are seeking to address is local or regional and leader shares your concern about the challenge (the network/partnership purpose) the only thing you need to ask is: “Would you be willing to meet one time for up to one full day with other like-minded leaders and ask this question ‘In order to see real breakthroughs related to this vision, is there anything we might do more effectively if we work together than if we continue to operate independently?’”  Obviously if you are working to bring people together internationally, the length of the initial meeting will likely be longer and, so, the commitment of time for those coming.

IMPORTANT ISSUE: Leaders you meet with must understand you are NOT trying to start a new organization.  That if the network or partnership emerges, the participants in the network will decide the priority or most promising action steps to take to address the challenge.

 

Your Network or Partnership’s First Working Meeting

Do You have An active Prayer strategy?

Priority: This first meeting must answer these basic questions —

“Is there anything we might do more effectively if we work together than if we continue to work independently?”  That question is answered by dealing with these questions –

  1. Facing this challenge, what are the greatest roadblocks to seeing real breakthroughs?
  2. Can we prioritize these challenges? Or, if one challenge is effectively addressed, which would have the greatest impact in realizing the vision?
  3. Can we identify and prioritize the 2-3 most effective action steps to address this specific challenge?
  4. Considering the top two proposed action steps, what would be indicators that our approach was effective?
  5. Who will take responsibility for which element of the action plan by which dates?
  6. How and with what frequency will we communicate with each other regarding progress or problems in our action plan?

Later Stages

Do You have An active Prayer strategy?

Our partnership or network has:

1. A specific, big vision – agreed as high value and is widely held among our partners ________
2. Limited, achievable, high-value objectives helping us evaluate progress ________
3. Active Working Groups of our partners addressing our limited achievable objectives ________
4. Agreed accountability, defined outcomes & annual evaluation schedule ________
5. Committed Leadership Team/A facilitator ________
6. Growing spiritual and relational connections among our partners ________
7. Regular communication with our partners and other, related ministries ________
8. An open spirit which is inclusive and welcomes new partners ________
9. We have a clear process for ‘on-boarding’ new partners ________
10. A high % of partners participate in our primary network or partnership meetings  ________

 

Our Network/Partnership Action Plan

Based on the consensus reached at your initial working meeting, consider the essentials that will turn your vision into real action.

Action Point #1
     Objective/Purpose:
     How We Measure:
     By what date?
Action Point  # 2:  
     Objective/Purpose 
     How We Measure:
     By what date?
Action Point  #3  
     Objective/Purpose 
     How We Measure: 
     By what date?