NGO Partnership and Consortium Building Training Course

Participants can conduct proportionate partner screening and document due-diligence decisions.

• Partner sourcing through mapping, referrals, calls for interest and market research
• Eligibility criteria aligned with programme scope, donor rules and localisation commitments
• Due diligence domains: governance, finance, safeguarding, delivery and legal status
• Risk-based assessment scales calibrated to funding value and operational sensitivity
• Reference checks structured around delivery history, integrity and relationship conduct
• Documenting approval decisions, conditions, exclusions and review dates

Participants can structure partnership practices that support equitable participation and local leadership.

• Localisation commitments translated into funding, authority and capacity-strengthening decisions
• Power analysis identifies resource control, voice, representation and accountability gaps
• Partnership principles defined through reciprocity, transparency, respect and mutual learning
• Overhead allocation negotiated using actual coordination and organisational support costs
• Accessible meeting practices support language inclusion, participation and informed decisions
• Capacity exchange plans recognise partner expertise alongside institutional strengthening needs

Participants can establish governance structures, roles and escalation routes for consortium delivery.

• Governance architecture separates steering, programme, technical and operational forums
• RACI matrices assign accountable, responsible, consulted and informed roles
• Terms of reference specify membership, quorum, voting and record-keeping requirements
• Lead agency responsibilities cover donor liaison, fiduciary oversight and coordination
• Secretariat functions budgeted for meetings, information management and follow-up
• Escalation pathways address delayed decisions, non-performance and member disputes

Participants can draft key partnership agreement provisions and identify terms needing specialist review.

• Agreement structures distinguish memorandum, framework agreement, subaward and consortium agreement
• Scope of work links deliverables, locations, timelines and quality standards
• Financial clauses define budgets, payment schedules, eligible costs and documentation
• Safeguarding, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, and whistleblowing obligations
• Data protection clauses specify access, retention, consent and incident notification
• Dispute-resolution clauses set negotiation, mediation, escalation and termination procedures

Participants can coordinate partners around a shared programme design, workplan and budget.

• Joint context analysis combines needs data, stakeholder insights and operational constraints
• Theory of change connects consortium contributions to outcomes and assumptions
• Results frameworks assign indicator ownership, disaggregation and verification responsibilities
• Work breakdown structures allocate activities, dependencies, milestones and accountable partners
• Contribution-based budgeting assigns delivery, coordination, support and contingency costs
• Shared procurement and logistics plans clarify purchasing authority and asset custody

Participants can organise a coherent consortium proposal process that meets donor requirements.

• Bid-no-bid criteria assess strategic fit, capacity, competitiveness and financial exposure
• Proposal calendars sequence partner inputs, reviews, approvals and donor deadlines
• Partner narratives integrated through common outcome statements and evidence standards
• Compliance matrices trace donor requirements to proposal sections and document owners
• Budget narratives justify coordination, partner support and indirect cost allocations
• Donor due diligence questions anticipated through evidence files and risk responses

Participants can monitor partner performance and manage delivery, compliance and safeguarding risks.

• Partner monitoring plans combine programme, finance, compliance and safeguarding evidence
• Performance scorecards track outputs, quality, timeliness, expenditure and reporting compliance
• Risk registers assign likelihood, impact, mitigation, owner and review dates
• Field monitoring methods include document review, observation, interviews and sample testing
• Corrective action plans define findings, actions, deadlines and verification evidence
• Fraud and safeguarding concerns managed through reporting protocols and confidentiality controls

Participants can maintain productive partnership relationships and resolve common coordination disputes.

• Communication protocols define meeting cadence, channels, decision records and information access
• Relationship health checks assess trust, responsiveness, fairness and shared expectations
• Interest-based negotiation separates positions from underlying operational and organisational needs
• Conflict mapping identifies parties, issues, incentives, power and possible resolution routes
• Difficult conversations prepared using facts, impact statements, requests and agreed actions
• Cross-cultural communication practices reduce misunderstanding in distributed consortium teams

Participants can review partnership performance and plan renewal, transition or responsible close-out.

• Partnership review frameworks assess results, compliance, relationship quality and added value
• After-action reviews capture decisions, evidence, lessons and assigned improvements
• Renewal decisions compare strategic value, performance evidence, risk and resource requirements
• Transition plans address handover, asset disposition, staff communication and outstanding obligations
• Responsible close-out protects communities, partners, records and donor commitments
• Individual application plans prioritise immediate improvements to current partnership arrangements