ABSTRACT
Several contemporary pressures make it necessary to solve urgent public problems through intensively negotiated, collaboration-driven, stakeholder-engaged partnerships. Among these are:
• the new orientation of ‘enabling’ government and more dispersed forms of local governance
• rapid social and economic change putting unprecedented pressures on social environments
• the erosion of historic forms of social connectedness and civic engagement
By the end of this chapter you should:
j Understand why partnerships are now necessary for delivering integrated, holistic services at local level
j Be familiar with the limitations, difficulties and dilemmas of partnership working which practice, experience and research have uncovered
j Be clear as to the foundations for robust partnerships: trust, sharing information and strong networks
j Be able to take steps towards building ‘communities of practice’ and consolidating practitioner networks
j Be familiar with methods such as log frames for planning and tracking services across complex partnerships.
