Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and figures
- List of case studies
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction to the book
- 2 An overview of project management
- 3 Getting started
- 4 Planning the project
- 5 Implementation
- 6 Evaluation and dissemination
- 7 Using ICT to support project work
- 8 The money side of projects
- 9 The people side of projects
- 10 Working in partnership
- Index
10 - Working in partnership
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and figures
- List of case studies
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction to the book
- 2 An overview of project management
- 3 Getting started
- 4 Planning the project
- 5 Implementation
- 6 Evaluation and dissemination
- 7 Using ICT to support project work
- 8 The money side of projects
- 9 The people side of projects
- 10 Working in partnership
- Index
Summary
Introduction
Library and information workers have a tradition of networking and collaborative working within the profession and with other professional groups. In the last decade governments, agencies and organisations have raised the profile of partnership working as they see this as one way of meeting the need to develop new approaches to working and deliver services in a complex and rapidly changing environment. There is often a financial driver behind the establishment of collaborative partnership projects. This chapter provides guidance on working in partnership.
Benefits of working in partnership
The benefits of partnership working include having:
• enhanced access to people, resources and organisations
• enhanced ownership, projects that are set up to collaboratively tackle specific problems are owned by partners, so project outcomes are more likely to be accepted and owned by the partner organisations
• enhanced quality, as the involvement of a wide range of people with different professional perspectives can enhance the quality of the project experience and outcomes; individual partners may be more willing to take on new ideas and working practices as a result of the partnership
• increased exposure to new ideas and approaches, as working in multiprofessional teams can help partners to broaden their outlook and obtain a broader understanding of their work and their context
• improved use of resources, as partnership working enhances access to resources and leads to more efficient use of resources
• enhanced motivation, as being part of a successful partnership can boost morale and help individuals to develop new enthusiasms for their work, though the opposite may be true too!
• continuous professional development, as working on a collaborative project gives individual workers the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills.
Partnership working brings learning opportunities for the different partners through ‘enforced’ reflection on their perspectives and working practices in comparison with those of partners.
Despite the benefits, there are some challenges to working in and leading collaborative teams or partnerships. These may result from longheld rivalries or competition; different values and beliefs; power struggles; differing perceptions and perspectives; the potential commit ment of large amounts of time, resources and energy; differences in systems and procedures; differences in organisational cultures; and responses of people or organisations not involved in the partnership.
- Type
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- Information
- The No-nonsense Guide to Project Management , pp. 199 - 216Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2017