Twinning: Tips: Partnership Deevelopment

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Partnership Development Recommendations

Phase I: Building Internal Support

Support: Develop support of your twinning project from your member organization’s chief commissioner or council’s chief executive officer, board of directors, and staff team.

Time: Allocate sufficient time to develop your twinning project to its highest efficacy. Consider all of the components of launching and maintaining a successful project:

Integration: Involve all necessary staff, volunteers, and girls to ensure project awareness and support. Your team should be committed to the success of the project and have the resources they need to achieve that success.
Strategy: Integrate project requirements and resources within the council’s strategic plan.
Finances: Develop a financial plan that generates sufficient revenue to fund the twinning project. Potential sources of funding and support include grants, corporate contributions, and girl-led money-earning efforts.
Accountability: Be accountable to every stakeholder; keep them informed of your activities.

Phase II: Twinning Partner Selection

Compatibility: Make certain your twinning partner shares your goals and level of commitment.
Relevancy: Identify an issue that addresses a real need in both communities.
Achievability: Set realistic goals and attain them.
Capability: Harness and build on your twinning partner’s strengths.
Time: Devise and implement a realistic timeline.

Phase III: Twinning Project Implementation

Girl-led: Girls should lead the twinning project, with the advice and support of staff and volunteers.
Fun and meaningfulness: Having fun is priority number one, but adding meaningfulness to the partnership will be key to providing girls with life-changing experiences and a sense of accomplishment.
Build: Allocate time so partners can get to know one another and build group capabilities.
Volunteers: Put together a group of volunteers and provide them with the resources to develop a successful project and sustain it. Make sure your project has the support of more than one volunteer in case one person is unable to continue with the project.
Parents: Encourage participation, inviting parents onboard and making certain they provide all necessary approval for their daughters to participate in the twinning project.
Virtual Meeting: Schedule a time when the girls can meet and talk with each other online.
Communicate: Consistent communication is critical to success.
Resources: Allocate the required resources including funds, facilities, computers, program materials, etc.

Phase IV: Twinning Project Guidelines and Materials