LEADERS AT THE TABLE

i. STRONG LEADERSHIP

Leaders set the direction of every partnership: they identify a common vision and promote dialogue of all the parties involved. Leaders need to identify internal champions that will be able to align shared interests and support ongoing implementation efforts. However, partnerships cannot be built around or depend solely on big personalities. Long-term successful partnerships must be able to survive frequent leadership changes. Therefore, teams need to craft well-planned strategies that ensure the partnership will not collapse because of staffing changes down the road.

ii. SHARED VISION

Building a successful partnership requires collaborating on a common agenda for all parties involved. Each stakeholder will have different goals, but within the partnership, there must be an alignment of their larger objectives. All parties must have a shared value proposition in the partnership; partners should also be co-creators. In this regard, partners need to define concrete commercial and social impact objectives at the onset, as well as be detailed in their evolving operational plans.

iii. PLANNING & ITERATION

Successful partnerships take time and significant planning at the beginning. Food security in particular is a long-term challenge that requires sustained effort, patience, and commitment from all partners. Partnerships may evolve beyond initial objectives, so stakeholders should be willing to adapt to changing circumstances and adjust and refine the engagement as needed. This requires frequent collaboration and communication among partners.

iv. COMMUNICATION

Strong collaboration, communication, and coordination of activities among stakeholders are all critical for the sustained success of partnerships. Each stakeholder must clearly understand their role and responsibilities within the partnership and communicate clearly and frequently to avoid misunderstanding and duplicative efforts.

v. LEVERAGING THE PAST

There are many partnership models and no one model is perfect. There are existing platforms that already have structures, procedures, and processes in place that new partnerships can adopt and adapt. Leveraging these models and platforms leads to more efficient and streamlined processes. Having an existing track record of successful implementation can also lend legitimacy and credibility. This can be an important step to instilling confidence, attracting investment, and garnering public trust.

vi. LOCALIZATION & LISTENING

Successful partnerships in food systems demand a comprehensive understanding of local market dynamics, environmental factors, and socioeconomic considerations. Local partners can provide valuable knowledge about the opportunity space and specific challenges in an area. Understanding local needs helps facilitate targeted activities within the partnership.

vii. BUILDING CAPACITY

Local partners possess useful and specific knowledge, but they may have constraints. Capacity-building programs can provide them with new agricultural practices, sustainable farming techniques, and value chain dynamics. This in turn enables them to access new markets and establish long-term relationships, which can lead to increases in productivity and profitability of their business ventures.

viii. CLARIFYING OBJECTIVES

Demonstrating the business case and return on investment of an initiative can garner support from multiple partners even if the project faces staff changes. Presenting clear and measurable objectives for partnerships helps stakeholders understand the purpose, expected outcomes, and value that a partnership will bring. This can increase their alignment and commitment to the initiative.

ix. CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

Governments play a crucial role in attracting investment and creating an enabling environment where partnerships can flourish. Establishing risk-sharing mechanisms, such as performance guarantees and revenue-sharing agreements, can also mitigate financial risks associated with partnerships. Governments from developing countries and development finance institutions can work together to structure tools, such as a first loss position, to de-risk investments.

x. BALANCING & PRIORITIZING

Ensuring that economic interests align with social and environmentally responsible practices can help create more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems. Additionally, long-term commitment to responsible, ethical, and sustainable agricultural practices helps earn the acceptance and trust of local stakeholders and communities. By striking a balance between the two goals (profits and sustainability), partnerships can achieve lasting and meaningful impacts.

xi. ADEQUATE STAFFING

Having dedicated personnel who can execute project components efficiently is essential for the effective implementation of a partnership. This also significantly reduces the potential for delays and operational inefficiencies.

xii. REPORTING & EVALUATION

Tracking progress and measuring results during the life of the partnership is critical for securing and maintaining support for the partnership, achieving end goals, and course correcting as needed. Aligning key performance indicators with the partnership’s objectives, conducting baseline data collection, and implementing robust monitoring and evaluation systems are all important pillars in tracking the progress of a partnership. Incorporating these metrics allows partnerships to continuously learn and improve throughout the life cycle of a project.  

i. OVERSELLING

Overpromising and setting unrealistic expectations can erode public trust and credibility if partnerships fail to meet these promises. This in turn reduces the long-term sustainability and success of a project. Additionally, announcing an initiative prematurely can lead to inadequate risk mitigation strategies, improper vetting of partners due to shortened and rushed procurement processes, and inadequate resource allocation.

ii. CHANGING PRIORITIES

Private sector actors may change their strategic priorities, which can diminish their
commitment to the endeavor, including staff and financial contributions. If a company
cancels the initiative, this creates uncertainty for all partners and can potentially affect the reputation and brand of the company.

iii. MISALIGNMENTS

Differences in organizational structures and cultures can inhibit effective and efficient
collaboration. Governments, civil society organizations, and companies have their own
timelines for project approval and launch and use their own terms and ways to
communicate. These unique institutional characteristics can create friction (or even
conflicts) and misalignment of expectations among partners. If these differences are not
properly addressed, they can lead to suboptimal collaborations and poor outcomes.

iv. UNFAMILIARITY

Sometimes partnerships fail because companies did not conduct sufficient due diligence on country conditions. The regulations and policies of a country might also change unexpectedly. Having a clear understanding of laws and regulations of the host country and their enforcement can promote and facilitate better business engagement. Quality infrastructure, tax, and labor regulations are essential for any business operation.

v. MINIMIZING LOCAL ACTORS

Leaders and decisionmakers not taking the time to understand local partners’ needs
inhibits the successful implementation of projects and ultimately their impact and
sustainability. Sequencing and coordination also are essential.

vi. MISTRUST & CONFLICT

Successful partnerships require a strong foundation of trust between partners. Building
this trust requires time, many interactions, negotiations, and establishing a shared
understanding of goals and values. Even with a foundation of trust, conflict or differences
in opinion may arise among partners. Without conflict resolution mechanisms or proper
channels of communication, misalignments can significantly disrupt partnerships.

vii. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLEXITIES

Navigating complex government procurement rules and regulations can be challenging
for private companies. In terms of both scale and system, public sector actors, such as
government agencies, are usually limited by their program cycle and funding that limits
how they can address issues and partner with the private sector. This challenges efforts to bring partnerships to scale.

viii. WEAK RISK MANAGEMENT

Food and agriculture are vulnerable to factors like climate events, policy changes, and
market fluctuations. Partners may not fully account for these issues or may assume
certain conditions are present (e.g., farmer insurance, infrastructure) that are not. This can negatively affect both the productivity and profitability of the partnership. Developing strategic foresight and contingency plans can help partners identify and address these risks.