Result Oriented Partnership: The Hallmark of effective Sponsorships

1. Result Oriented Partnership: The Hallmark of effective Sponsorships BiyiFashoyin Deputy General Manager, Omatek Computers Plc biyifashoyin@omatekcomputers.com

2. Element of effective partnership • Clearly defined mission • Develop a partnership policy that positions your efforts and encourages partnerships • You have to start with a plan • Choose the right partners • Determine the value and benefits of the partnership • Governance • Minimal bureaucracy • Evaluation process

3. Clearly defined mission • One basic sign-post to determining the relationship of any discerning organization is the ability to set clear it’s mission and object. • In other words, organization considering partnering must be clear in its mission and objectives for partnerships at the institutional level. • Where the mission of the organization and partner are diverse, the partnership opportunity should be passed. If the missions are compatible, then an analysis of the mission and objectives at the project level should be conducted to ensure compatibility from an operational perspective.

4. Develop a partnership policy that positions your efforts and encourages partnerships • An effective partnership policy provides an element of transparency and is seen as a crucial step in developing a positive internal culture. • An effective policy needs to encourage consistency but allow for flexibility to asses risk and respond to opportunities. It is a symbiotic relationship which shouldn’t inhibit the ability of the organization. • It should be able to drive business and engender growth for profit private businesses to build relationships based on mutual beneficial goal. • Any conflict of interest statements needs to be simply stated without being over dramatic and at the same time, practical so that industry sees value in working with you.

5. You have to start with a plan • Prior to seeking partners, you need to have a clearly defined marketing strategy that helps to define your current situation, your target audience, specific objectives you want to achieve and the types of partners that will help you address the gaps in your strategy (e.g. reaching a specific audience, building credibility, offering value-added service, e.t.c.). • If you don’t have a road map, how can you possibly know where you are going?

6. Choose the right partners • Most private/public profit oriented companies have limited resources to manage partnerships. • As such, you want to ensure that the partners you work with are the most suitable to the goals you have outlined in your strategy. • Prior to initiating discussions with potential private sector, initial research should be conducted to help determine/prioritize partners that can help you best achieve your objectives. • A qualitative checklist can also help to assess different opportunities and rationalize why certain partners are more desirable than others.

7. Determine the value and benefits of the partnership • To create a “win/win” situation, each organization at the outset must have a clear understanding of the value and benefits that the partnership brings to the table from both a tangible perspective. • In order to create a real “buy-in”, both/all parties must benefit from • the arrangement, otherwise there will be lackluster commitment.

8. Governance • All partnering arrangements should have a defined governance model that ensures there are checks and balances through the partnering process. • These processes should be stated from the onset, so that there are no surprises or unrealistic expectations.

9. Minimal bureaucracy • A bureaucratic and complex process to review and manage partnership will likely undermine any real efforts to secure partners for an initiative. • Long approval process can take away any momentum that is developed between potential benefits that will be offered through these arrangements and agreement templates so that when you move forward on a partnering arrangement, the approval process will be timely and efficient.

10. Evaluation process • Consistent with effective marketing, every partnering arrangement needs an effective evaluation strategy where ongoing progress can be tracked and results measured against objectives. • Evaluation can include both quantitative (e.g. audience reach, exposure to messages) and qualitative (organization image, audience satisfaction) measurement criteria. • If an arrangement is not working or living up to expectations, it is important to address issues as they arise and not at the end of an agreement when it is too late to make any changes.

11. MAKE A CHECKLIST OF WHAT YOUR ORGANISATION WANTS TO ACHIEVE AND NARROW YOUR LIST OF POTENTIAL PARTNERS BE REALISTIC IN WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THROUGH ANY PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS HAS SO MANY ACCOLADES, SO BE CAREFULL HOW YOU MANAGEMENT SUDDEN SURGE IN YOUR CHAINS OF PARTNERSHIP AS SOME PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL DO NOT ADD VALUE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION. LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL SPONSORSHIP DEVELOPMENT

12. Thank you!