Basic principles
Partnering relationships should be established according to the following principles and everybody involved in the partnering arrangement needs to understand and accept these principles.
Commitment
Partnering requires considerable effort, innovation and patience. Open book accounting would be fundamental to this commitment.
Common Objectives
Partners must identify, understand and support each other's objectives. Partners work together to translate their individual objectives and strive to achieve the same goals.
Open and Honest Communication and Trust
Partnering establishes principles and systems for the timely and accurate exchange of information to develop trust and efficient management. Business relationships could suffer through the guarding of information and poor responsiveness.
Ethical Behaviour
High ethical standards are fundamental to partnering, and the conduct of all parties must be totally transparent and ultimately accountable.
Teamwork
A team approach (and there is no reason why end users cannot be represented on the team) is essential in partnering and lays the foundations for continuous improvement. Teamwork builds trust and keeps the relationship successful. It is also a good means of resolving problems.
Partnering is about value for money, exploring new ideas and sharing risk and reward.
