ABSTRACT
All societal partnerships are evaluated to some extent, whether by the participants, in a systematic or ad hoc way, or by external groups, including critics. As a result some of the limitations of first-generation forms of partnership are perceived by participants, and some seek to address them by evolving the partnership to a new level. To evolve a first-generation partnership, then it is important to refine our understanding of how the business partner's core operations relate to the issues of our existing partnership or organisation is focused on. Second-generation societal partnerships have played a key role in advancing corporate responsibility. Standards development partnerships, in particular, have helped link responsible consumers, whether individuals or institutions, to socially and environmentally more advanced producers and suppliers. Key steps in a process of moving towards more transformative partnerships include: Recognising the limitations of existing partnerships and partnering in general, and Taking collective and personal responsibility for the systems that create those limitations.
