The Challenge:

To establish a long-term research partnership to transform the way a leading residential and community care provider delivered its services.

The Collaborators:

Baptcare, in collaboration with RMIT Centre for Applied Social Research

The Opportunity:

After promising discussions between leaders at both BaptCare and RMIT, it was time to bring the teams together to shape an ambitious, long-term collaboration between a leading social service agency and an applied social research centre. With a shared goal to strengthen the evidence base that underpins social service delivery and funding models for systemic change. These keen collaborators needed to create a Partnership Agreement to set themselves up for success from the start.

The Work:

Over the course of two months, our collaboration experts worked with each organisation to understand their goals and needs before co-designing and facilitating two workshops for 10-15 people with the RMIT internal partnership broker. The workshops were interspersed with co-design sessions by sub-groups to develop key aspects of their Partnership Agreement.

The Outcomes:

A Partnership Agreement created clarity in their shared and individual goals and also created the basis for shared effort and understanding of what they could expect from their fellow collaborators. Across three time horizons of research, their vision for innovation stretched from immediate, small actions, through advocacy and systemic influence to big, future impact in their respective fields of practice. The result: a team energised and able to get started doing the work, confident in the foundations of their collaboration.

Major Benefits:

Engaged Partners, Shared Effort, Inspired Innovation

The Best Bit:

We were privileged to be brought in to support this ambitious and committed group of people to frame a vision and model of governance and operations to enable these two large and influential organisations to adapt throughout the life of their multi-year collaboration. It goes to show what’s possible with the right support, deep commitment and a big heart.

The Feedback

“Insightful, reflective, and with a warm, human touch, Michelle brought her extensive partnering expertise to our emerging collaboration and guided us toward shared and achievable goals. She assisted us to lay a solid foundation for a research partnership grounded in strong social values.”

Associate Professor Martyn JonesRMIT University

“Michelle is both a clear headed realist and a visionary dreamer. She enables groups to pragmatically “shoot for the stars”. She truly facilitates and serves the various stakeholders, seeking to land their aspirations and not her’s. She creates a safe environment and tests the people and ideas thoroughly within that safe and respectful space.”

Olivia Maclean, General Manager Mission Development, BaptcareBaptcare

“Research partnerships, and how to make them work, are often taken for granted by academics; we tend to stick to old patterns. Working with Michelle was both a breath of fresh air and welcome challenge. Through two carefully designed workshops facilitated by Michelle we forged a university-NGO partnership that has solid foundations and a promising future. All of this was done collaboratively and with a real understanding of how to engage people in the partnership process.”