ABSTRACT
For partnerships to evolve requires that the partners themselves progress in their own understanding of effective collaboration. For business, this means a widening of the issues and individuals that business people accept as part of their responsibility. In their 2005 report on partnerships, the World Economic Forum notes that companies are at various stages of readiness for partnering: companies that are yet to be convinced of the business case; companies that are looking to get more actively engaged; and companies that are leading the field towards more systemic approaches. The differences of approach to partnering reflect differing corporate approaches to their social responsibilities, of which there are various models advanced in academia and by consultants. Consequently, partnerships necessarily require more evaluation of their performance and growing role in society. Evaluation can be conducted to improve decision-making, organisational learning, public relations, or to report to donors; it can also be used to inform strategic planning.
