" We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. " - Martin Luther King

What is Partnerships for Development Models?

PDM represents a product range of services and supplies provided through the Education With Enterprise Trust (EWET).

The sole aim of the programme is to assist interested people or organisations in bringing together, training and structuring working relationships between their key stake holders such as business people, Local Government Councillors and employees, and community leaders for the good of the local community. Thus forging new partnerships whose combined strengths and skills will enable their community to function even more successfully.

The benefits of Partnerships

(1) From Government's perspective:
The basic partnership approach is in line with the National Government's objectives, as demonstrated in the "Public Private Partnership" policy of the Department of Constitutional Development and the Department of Trade and Industry's "Cluster Programme". And there is already substantial evidence to prove the success of Local Partnerships between Local Government and their key stake holders.

The Department of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development also views such partnerships as a means through which Local Government can enhance their capacity for improved service delivery. Both in terms of catering for the immediate social and economic well-being of their communities and assisting to overcome existing backlogs.

As one Department Official put it:

"Central to this approach is that while a municipality remains the ultimate authority responsible for ensuring a service is provided, and regulates that service, it should be able to use different service providers to fulfil municipal development objectives.

Partnerships for service delivery mechanisms include public delivery, public utilities, public/public partnerships, public/private partnerships and public/community partnerships.

These options are not mutually exclusive and can be combined in a number of ways. Municipal choices about delivery options should also be guided by clear criteria, such as coverage, cost, quality and socio-economic objectives."

(2) From the PDM participants' perspective:
Already benefits flowing from new development and opportunities, growing out of such partnerships, are being experienced by thousands of South Africans in participating cities and towns.

Several major contractors, largely dependent upon Government tenders, are discovering that partnerships with previously marginalised people can indeed impact on their chances of securing business.

Communities, though perhaps still physically separated by historical divides, are now getting together and discovering that joint effort really does create new opportunities and new prosperity in their cities and towns.

Don't just take our word for it, read what some actual PDM participants have to say:

"The residents of cities and towns are fragmented. There are people and organisations pursuing the same objectives but they do not cooperate at all! Joining hands in a partnership helps to achieve a lot more than can be achieved by a person or organisation on their own."

" Our diversity in terms of race, sex, religion, culture, education, skills, political affiliation, interests and motives became powerful building blocks through which the resulting partnership makes our town a winning town - with added opportunities for all. The partnership became an initiative through which we developed an appreciation for how our differences help in getting things done."

"The association of our town's residents with our partnership gives them a sense they are able to influence things that happen to them ... rather than that decisions and actions are simply just taken by the leaders in the community."

"It is simple really ... Local Government has now got an improved track record on what they achieved, as well as a greater appreciation for their efforts amongst residents. Also the community participates in decision making and the delivery of projects, resulting in job creation. Businesses have experienced an improvement in their bottom line and have secured contracts which would not have been possible without the partnership."

Yes, through coming together and rolling up their sleeves, more and more community stake holders are now proving beyond doubt that:

"Together we achieve so much more!"

What do we mean by Partnership:

The usual understanding of partnership was (still is to a large extent) that it represents a clearly defined legal contract that spells out the risks, financial obligations and quantified outputs to be attained. Managerial responsibility for operations is normally allocated to one of the partners. EWET learned that this narrow understanding of a partnership lacks the dynamic action, cooperation, and mutual learning that is required for the partnership to be strategic. Most of the current efforts are spent on setting up the partnership with little or no effort allocated to the open-ended growth and development of the partnership.

EWET realised that our operational definition of the word partnership should cater for a high level of uncertainty and ambiguity; the manner in which the partnership attains socio-economic development objectives, and the way in which partners capture it cannot be determined beforehand; the partner relationship will evolve in ways that are hard to predict; today's ally may be tommorow's rival, or might even be a current rival in some other area; managing the partnership over time will usually be more important than crafting the initial formal design; initial agreements have less to do with success than does the adaptability of change.

PDM's 8 path route to initiating a Local Partnership.

"One of our measurements of success is how quickly
we can arrive at the situation where
our services are no longer needed."
Arie Bouwer, Executive Director, EWET

There are many roads to change. Some rough. Some not quite so rough. Most are long. Others simply are dead ends. All with unexpected twists and turns. All lying in wait for the first time traveller.

If you believe in the importance of change and would like to embark on the positive road to Local Partnership development, we at EWET can help you.

Having travelled this road many times, we will be able to guide you and offer timely advice. To point out potential pitfalls. To help smooth your way.

Thus, with this our sole aim, we offer our services to you as travelling companions. Suggesting the following eight paths as the route to your successful transition.