VISTA Capacity Building: Partnership and Building Relationships (2 of 14) - Integrated Training Program - PSO Facilitator Guide - BLDG Partnerships Guide

PSO Facilitator Guide Partnership and Building Relationships
Capacity Building: Partnership and Building

Relationships
10:00 – 12:30 p.m. (150 minutes)
Session set-up:
• Ensure there are six tables – one for each organization/group in the “Gaston
Neighborhood” learning experience – or an area that will allow you to create six
groups.
• Using the cardstock provided, fold into table tents. Label each 1-6. Put one
piece of folded cardstock on each table so that the outside of the card displays
the table number. Use the inside of the table tent to write the organization’s
name.
• Ensure that there is space at the front or back of the room for seven people to
sit in horseshoe shape for a community meeting at the end of the partnership
learning experience.
• Put markers on each table.
• Partnerships Special Packet includes: Instructions for Partnership Learning
Experience (six blue sheets) describing six community organizations/groups.
Also included is a white sheet that gives VISTA facilitation instructions, and
a second sheet called Membership Changes. Before the session begins, cut
along dotted lines on the Membership Change page to create “change” pieces
of paper.
• Create sample “Action Plan” poster (for step 7) on page 5 of this facilitator
guide.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify opportunities and challenges they may experience in building
partnerships
• Apply the principles of partnership building to their service assignments
• Discuss the role that partnerships play in capacity building
Time Steps Resources/

Materials
1 minute 1. Welcome participants and introduce yourself.
3 minutes 2. Introduce the session and its outcomes. Overhead:
Partnership
Key Point To Make: All VISTAs are respon- Session
Outcomes
sible for building partnerships whether they
specifically see it in their project plan or not.
VISTA Integrated Training Program Rev. November 2006 1


Materials
5 minutes 3. Share with participants that they are going Tables labeled by
to take part in a learning experience that will number (1–6)
demonstrate how partnerships develop in
communities. However, before we begin, we
want to regroup them. Have participants count
off by 6 and go to the designated table.
5 minutes 4. Have the VISTAs introduce themselves to their

new table groups if they do not know each
other. Within their new table group, ask that
each participant quickly say their name, where
they will serve, and a potential partnership
they think they will be forming or responsible
for this coming year.
Note to Facilitator:
We are breaking the groups up because it is

likely that they will sit by individuals who were in
their original PSO groups (with whom they have
formed relationships). This session will be more
effective with a mixed group.
2 minutes 5. Welcome everyone to the community of
“Gaston.” Ask participants to close their
eyes and visualize themselves in a city
neighborhood that has experienced great
change over the last several years. Originally,
it consisted of housing for mostly blue collar
workers. Slowly, these residents moved to
the suburbs; the housing then began to serve
low-income families and individuals. During
the last five years, housing has become very
expensive in the city and this particular area
is now seen as “prime” property for people
who can purchase housing and spend money
fixing it. The process of gentrification is well
underway (“gentrification” happens when low-
cost, physically deteriorated neighborhoods
experience physical renovation, an increase
in rents and property values, along with an
influx of wealthier residents—all of which
usually forces the neighborhood’s low-income
inhabitants to struggle and possibly move
away).
2 Rev. November 2006 VISTA Integrated Training Program


Materials
As a result, the neighborhood is increasingly
occupied by middle- and high-income
individuals and families, with some low-
income single family homes and apartment
buildings still remaining. The public schools in
this area are attended primarily by the children
of low-income families whose standardized
test scores have traditionally been low.
Families with higher incomes tend to send
their children to private schools outside
the neighborhood. The public high school
is experiencing the pressure of increased
state standards and high-stakes testing with
no increase in funding. Dropout rates have
increased along with discipline referrals.
Let everyone know that they are a part of an

organization located in the Gaston community.
Each table represents a different organization.
The organizations/groups that participants will

now represent are: The Gaston Neighborhood
Association; the Gaston Presbyterian Church;
the Gaston YMCA; the Parks and Recreation
Department; the Gaston High School Student
Council; and the Gaston High School
Administration and Staff.
10 6. Pass out one blue sheet to each group. Partnerships

minutes The sheet you give to each group should Special Packet: Six
represent one of the groups listed above. blue sheets
Ask participants to turn to the side that gives
instructions. Encourage them to read along
and ask questions as you review.
No one should share which group they belong to

until they present their action plan.


Materials
Instructions for Partnership Learning Experience:
• Each table represents an organization in the

Gaston community.
• The back of the blue sheet on your table has

a description of the organization your table
represents. It also has the description of the
Gaston community that I just read to you.
• In a moment, you will carefully read the

description of your community organization.
• Each group will need to select a leader to

facilitate the discussion and a scribe to record
the action plan on the chart paper.
• If your organization has a VISTA, it is indicated

in the description of your organization, and
you will need to select some one to be the
VISTA.
• Your organization will have 20 minutes to

develop an action plan.
• The leader will provide a two-minute sum-

mation of the table’s action plan to the larger
group.
Ask participants to please turn the paper over

and silently read their scenarios.
If people ask, only one group has a VISTA in their

group/organization.
Key Point To Make: Emphasize that all have the
same background information about the commu-
nity, but each table represents a different group in
the community.


Materials
2 minutes 7. Show participants a sample Action Plan Sample Action Plan
poster so there is uniformity in the reporting. poster
Ensure that each table has a piece of chart
Chart paper, mark-
paper and markers. Ask if the language on the
ers at each table
action plan is clear.
Key Point To Make: Groups are to create an

action plan based on the description they have
been provided (not what they think it should be).
Some groups have needed additional explanation

about what is meant by the values of the organi-
zation.
18 8. Ask the groups to begin work on their Training Materials:

minutes action plan. Remind them that although the Action Plan Sheet
table members will be working together on
the action plan to create the poster, each
individual should also be taking notes.
Make sure the participants understand the ques-

tions on the action plan. Observe the interaction
and process that is going on.
12 9. Have the leader from each table take two Card stock with
Minutes minutes to explain which group they represent name of group and
and share the details of their action plan, using made into table
tent
their chart paper as a reference. Post the chart
paper on the wall. Turn the table tents, so the
organization’s name is now showing.


Materials
If the room allows, have the leader make the pre-

sentation from the table. This will help people
know where each group is located.
Key Point To Make: Once all groups have pre-
sented, emphasize that even though they face a
common problem, each group has approached it
differently.
15
Stage 1
minutes
We have divided the learning experiences into

stages to organize the experience for facilitators.
These stages are not to be shared with partici-
pants.
1. After all groups have presented, instruct Overhead:
groups to decide who their first partnership Partnership
choice is (based on the presentations they Selection
just heard). Show overhead, “Partnership
Selection” to demonstrate what this decision
should be based on:
• Which group will be most effective in help-

ing your organization achieve the goals of
its action plan?
• How is this partner in alignment with your

values?
2. Ask participants to answer the first three Training Materials:

questions on the back of the “Action Plan” Reaching Out:
sheet, under “Reaching out: Partnership Partnership
Selection (One)
Selection (One).”
• The group/organization we would like to

partner with…
• What’s in it for us?
• What’s in it for them?


Materials
3. Once they have finished the decision-making
process, instruct the group to:
• Select one person to represent them
• This person will go to the group/organiza-

tion they selected to make a partnership
pitch.
• If more than one group wants to pitch to

an organization, take turns making the
pitch.
• They have five minutes to make the pitch—

start now.
The question may arise—why are we being lim-

ited to one organization? Acknowledge that in real
life, you might be looking for multiple partners,
however you can’t talk to everyone at the same
time. What we are asking you to do now is pri-
oritize your work. Identify which partner you are
most interested in.
4. After the pitch, ask participants to return to Overhead:

their group. Show overhead, “Partnership Partnership Debrief
Debrief,” for groups to use as a guide for
taking about how the pitch went.
• Is this partnership a fit?
• How will they build the capacity of our

organization?
• Do we want to continue with this partner-

ship?
5. After the debrief, ask groups to fill in ques- Training Materials:

tion four on “Reaching Out: Partnership Selection Reaching Out:
Partnership
(One),” (“Group/organization(s) interested in part- Selection (One)
nering with us”).


Materials
12
Stage 2
minutes
1. Show the overhead, “Landscape Changes” to Overhead:
introduce changes that have happened in the Landscape
Gaston community: Changes
• The Gaston Neighborhood Association is

given $25,000 by a successful realtor in the
neighborhood who has agreed to give 15%
of her commission on all sales in Gaston (this
generous gift amounted to $25,000 this year).
She does this because it improves the overall
neighborhood, increases property values, and
helps her overall income.
• The YMCA loses their lease on the space they

currently use for most of their after-school rec-
reation programs. They will however, be able
to continue to house the after-school aca-
demic programs in the same building as their
offices.
• The high school receives money from the state

to fund a teacher as an academic coach for
after-school programs that focus on improving
the school’s standardized test scores.
2. Ask participants to talk at their tables and
see if changes in the community landscape
might alter who they decided to partner with in
Stage 1.
3. Ask them to answer the first three questions Training Materials:
on the back of the Action Plan sheet, under Reaching Out:
“Reaching out: Partnership Selection (Two).” Partnership
Selection (Two)


Materials
4. Have them select a person from their group
to do a second partnership pitch, based on
the new information and discussions they just
had.
• This partner could be the same group or a

different group because of the changes.
• If you are sticking with your original choice,

you still need to go to the organization to
explain why.
• Groups may also say, we are sticking with

our first choice, but we just want to talk to
another group.
Tell them they have five minutes to make the

pitch.
5. Ask the groups to discuss what happened in Overhead:
the second stage, using the same partnership Partnership Debrief
debrief questions.
• Is this partnership a fit?
• How will they build the capacity of our

organization?
• Do we want to continue with this partner-

ship?
6. After the debrief, remind groups to fill in
question four on “Reaching Out: Partnership
Selection (Two),” (“Group/organization(s)
interested in partnering with us”).
5 minutes Stage 3
1. Explain that people in communities often
change jobs, move, wear multiple hats, and
have multiple priorities.
2. Explain that you are now going to place a Pieces of paper
piece of paper before one member of each with “membership
group. The paper will ask this person to move changes” (cut into
strips)
to another group because of something that
has happened in the community.


Materials
Do not give the “change” piece of paper to the

group’s leader or the VISTA.
3. Show participants the overhead of the Overhead:

changes. You don’t need to read it to them. Membership
They can read it while the changes are taking Changes
place.
4. Explain to participants that the new member
should bring his/her action plan from the last
table to the new table and share these ideas.
5. New members should share with the table

which group they came from, the highlights
of their action plan, and the history of the
partnerships their former table is interested in
developing.
Key Point To Make: People who have moved

to a new group are likely to be lobbying for
their old group, as well as for the new group,
during future partnership discussions.
7 minutes Stage 4
1. Show overhead, “Resource Opportunity” Overhead:
to introduce another change for groups to Resource
consider: Opportunity
The “State Fund for Youth” has a large amount

of funding available for high-quality youth pro-
grams that address underserved youth and
their academic success.
Applications must include a description of

the program’s outcomes and how they will be
measured.
Discuss at your table.


Materials
2. Allow groups five minutes to discuss and Training Materials:
document their responses to the three Reaching Out
questions under the heading “Response to the
‘State Fund for Youth’ funding opportunity”
section of the “Reaching Out” Training
Material.
• Are you interested in applying for (or

partnering with others to apply for) these
funds?
• If yes, describe the outcomes of your pro-

gram and how they will be measured.
• Ideally, which group/organization(s) would

you partner with in this grant proposal?
Note to Facilitator: Special
Partnerships
While the groups are having their discussion, let Packet: VISTA
Instructions
the VISTA (in the YMCA group) know that she/he
will be facilitating a community meeting. Give her/
him the “VISTA Instructions” sheet (in the training
materials packet).
12
Community Meeting
minutes
1. Announce that a community meeting will be
convened by the YMCA to discuss if your
group/organization wants to apply for these
funds. The VISTA from the YMCA will serve as
the meeting’s facilitator.
2. Instruct each group to send one representative
to a horseshoe-shaped “fishbowl” meeting at
the front or back of the room.
3. Instruct the remaining participants to sit

around the meeting, observe the conversation,
and the dynamics, and take notes about their
responses to this meeting.


Materials
The VISTA will be asking the group the following

questions:
• Describe your proposal to address under-

served youth and their academic success.
• Ideally, which organizations would be the most

appropriate partners?
The VISTA will ask each community representa-

tive to take one minute or less to provide their
responses to the questions, making sure to
announce their name and the organization they
represent.
The VISTA will use the remaining few minutes to

have an open discussion based on what he just
heard, using the following questions as a prompt:
• Based on what you have discussed, are there

any parts of your proposals that you want to
change?
• Do you have some new ideas that you think

we should consider?
20
Debrief
minutes
1. Transition to the debrief by having participants
return to their tables.


Materials
• The debrief is where the group articulates its

learning from the activities.
• We want to give participants the opportunity

to reflect on what was important for them and
thus learn from it.
• The questions structure the debriefing process

to allow the group to think through the experi-
ence from beginning to end.
• It is critical that participants be able to articu-

late how they will apply the learning.
• The role of the facilitator is to call on people

and judge how much time you have to let par-
ticipants respond to each question.
• At the end of the whole debrief, share your

insights and responses in order to summarize
what you have heard about the formation of
partnerships from the group.
2. Explain to participants that we will debrief the

partnership learning experience in four stages.
• Use the following as a script and “Possible

Questions” to prompt participants’ discus-
sion.
• Be aware that the tendency of groups is to

continually rehash what happened.


Materials
STAGE 1: Describe
First we will describe the experience by listening

to their observations and reactions.
Possible questions:
What happened—describe your experience.
How did you feel?
What surprised you?
STAGE 2: Interpret
When we interpret what just happened, the focus

is on why. Here we will evaluate the kinds of
trends and dynamics that emerged in the group.
Possible questions:
Why did it happen?
What kinds of patterns did you see?
STAGE 3: Generalize
When we generalize, the goal is to be able to pull

from the individual experiences and make con-
nections to the real world. Articulate principles
that participants can apply to other situations.
Possible questions:
What does this experience tell you about the

process of forming partnerships?
What did you learn or relearn?


Materials
STAGE 4: Apply
Now, we will focus on describing how to apply

what you have just learned.
Possible questions:
• What do you want to remember from this

experience in the future?
• What would you do differently in a similar situ-

ation in the future?
3. Based on their discussion, share with
participants any insights or responses you
may have about the building of partnerships.
In this debrief, you will be able to integrate

some of the concepts outlined in the “Factors
That Make or Break Partnerships.”
Some comments might include:
• Groups engaged in the same problem may

have different ideas on how to approach it.
• Not everyone has the same set of values.
• We all make assumptions based upon our own

perceptions, experiences, or information we
may or may not have.
• During chaotic situations, people tend to

blame others and ourselves, rather than exam-
ining the systems/processes/relationships, etc.
• In conflict situations, some people give up

easily rather than explain their views.
• Different folks may have different strokes.


Materials
• The home team has an advantage in being
able to impose its rules on people coming
from the outside—this could also relate to
power.
• People prefer partners who see things the

same way as opposed to partners who see
things differently.
15
Application
minutes
We want the VISTAs to be able to think more spe-
cifically about the application of this experience
to their project. We are introducing factors that
make or break partnerships to help concretize the
learning.
Share the six factors framework – Mini-teach Training Material:

Factors That
1. Show overhead, Factors That Make or Break Make or Break
Partnerships to introduce the six overall Partnerships
factors that make or break partnerships:
• Ideology – Values and Beliefs: How do dif-

ferent values and beliefs impact partner-
ship building?
• Leadership: How does leadership (or lack

of leadership) affect partnership building?
• Power: How does power and privilege (or

lack of power and privilege) affect partner-
ship building?
• History and Relationships: How can an

organization’s or group’s history and rela-
tionships in the community affect the part-
nership building?
• Competition and Resources: How can the

perception of abundance or scarcity effect
the partnership building?
• Time: How does time affect partnership

building in community?


Materials
2. Ask participants to take out their VISTA VISTA PSO
Notebooks. Taking into account these factors Notebooks
that make or break a partnership, today’s
learnings, and your member assignment, what
three guidelines/principles do you need to
remember as you build partnerships in your
community?
Key Points To Make:
• VISTAs will want to ask about the sponsoring

organization’s partnerships (past and present)
so their efforts can focus on strengthening
existing ties as well as forming new ones.
• They’ll want to know what has worked (and

not worked) in building relationships with the
community.
• Refer participants to the “Additional

Resources” in the back of their Training
Materials for this session and point out “Keys
to Successful Partnerships” for a detailed
list of things to think about when asking their
supervisors questions about partnerships.
3. Ask a few participants to share their written
thoughts.
5 minutes Additional Resources

1. Introduce the following handouts (located in Training Materials:
Partnership
the back of their Training Materials for this
Additional
session as “Additional Resources”), providing Resources
a very short overview of what they are and
encourage them to go back and read them as a) Who’s a Partner?
they begin their service:
a) Who’s a Partner—different partners with

whom they could work or reach out to as they
do their service.


Materials
b) Stages of Group Development—brief infor- b) Stages of Group
mation about the changes groups go through Development
as they work with one another that can help c) Partnership
to support them as the develop, support, and Good for Everyone
experience partnerships.
d) Partner Profiles
c) The “Partnership: Good for Everyone”
sheet—helps them think through what is a win e) Keys to
Successful
for their own organization and the organization Partnerships
with whom they wish to partner that can help
them with their initial pitches.
d) Partner Profiles—way to document their

partnership work so that they leave behind
information for the next VISTA or their organi-
zation.
e) Keys to Successful Partnerships—four

key areas that must be present in order for
partnerships to work (includes things to think
about in each area).
Key Point To Make: Since most of the partici-

pants have done little or no service in their com-
munity, it is hard for them to think about who
their partners are and how they need to work with
them. But as they go into their communities, work
on their action plans, and begin to build partner-
ships, these handouts represent a few resources
that can help support them in their work.
5 minutes Closing
1. Read quote from Donna Beegle. Overhead &
Training Material:
Key Point To Make: Remind participants that Capacity Building
and Poverty
partnership building is a constant process – just
like anything you do, the journey is not straight,
but consists of many twists and turns.
2. Have VISTAs complete evaluations. Evaluations

Capacity Building: Partnerships & Building Relationships

VISTA Pre-Service Orientation – Session Flow
Gaston introduction
Outcomes & session Participant self community group Action plan
intro introduction assignments report out
Stage 1: Stage 2: Landscape Stage 3: Stage 4:

1st partner selection changes & 2nd Membership Resource
partner selection changes opportunity
Community Debrief Application Additional Closing

meeting –DIGA resources

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PSO Facilitator Guide Partnership and Building Relationships

Capacity Building: Partnership and Building

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Time Steps Resources/

VISTA Integrated Training Program Rev. November 2006 1

Time Steps Resources/

5 minutes 4. Have the VISTAs introduce themselves to their

We are breaking the groups up because it is

2 Rev. November 2006 VISTA Integrated Training Program

Time Steps Resources/

Let everyone know that they are a part of an

The organizations/groups that participants will

10 6. Pass out one blue sheet to each group. Partnerships

No one should share which group they belong to

VISTA Integrated Training Program Rev. November 2006 3

Time Steps Resources/

• Each table represents an organization in the

• The back of the blue sheet on your table has

• In a moment, you will carefully read the

• Each group will need to select a leader to

• If your organization has a VISTA, it is indicated

• Your organization will have 20 minutes to

• The leader will provide a two-minute sum-

Ask participants to please turn the paper over

If people ask, only one group has a VISTA in their

4 Rev. November 2006 VISTA Integrated Training Program

Time Steps Resources/

Key Point To Make: Groups are to create an

Some groups have needed additional explanation

18 8. Ask the groups to begin work on their Training Materials:

Make sure the participants understand the ques-

VISTA Integrated Training Program Rev. November 2006 5

Time Steps Resources/

If the room allows, have the leader make the pre-

We have divided the learning experiences into

• Which group will be most effective in help-

• How is this partner in alignment with your

2. Ask participants to answer the first three Training Materials:

• The group/organization we would like to

• What’s in it for us?

• What’s in it for them?

6 Rev. November 2006 VISTA Integrated Training Program

Time Steps Resources/

• Select one person to represent them

• This person will go to the group/organiza-

• If more than one group wants to pitch to

• They have five minutes to make the pitch—

The question may arise—why are we being lim-

4. After the pitch, ask participants to return to Overhead:

• Is this partnership a fit?

• How will they build the capacity of our

• Do we want to continue with this partner-

5. After the debrief, ask groups to fill in ques- Training Materials:

VISTA Integrated Training Program Rev. November 2006 7

Time Steps Resources/

• The Gaston Neighborhood Association is

• The YMCA loses their lease on the space they

• The high school receives money from the state

8 Rev. November 2006 VISTA Integrated Training Program

Time Steps Resources/

• This partner could be the same group or a

• If you are sticking with your original choice,

• Groups may also say, we are sticking with

Tell them they have five minutes to make the

• Is this partnership a fit?

• How will they build the capacity of our

What happened—describe your experience.

How did you feel?

What surprised you?

Why did it happen?

What kinds of patterns did you see?

What does this experience tell you about the

What did you learn or relearn?