Code for America on understanding the whole government ecosystem before engaging
Jen Pahlka, Founder of Code of America, which uses digital technology to improve how the government and public work together, acknowledges the importance of fitting any solution into a broader ecosystem: “If we are building bikes, but we are only making the frames and wheels—well, then we don’t have bikes.” As with all partnerships, partnering with government can be challenging and can require a significant investment of time and resources. Before diving in, social enterprises should take the time to understand the government ecosystem and build their own capacity to engage over the long timelines that government partnerships often require. While it may seem obvious, not everyone fully appreciates the importance of understanding context—and that a misunderstanding can result in costly missteps. Social enterprises should map the ecosystem to truly understand the context, existing status quo, government priorities and stakeholders before diving into government partnerships.
Key Takeaway: Understand and articulate how you align with existing government priorities and how your agendas overlap.
Pratham on the importance of flexibility when engaging with government partners
Even with the best laid plans, unexpected challenges will arise when partnering with government. It is important to be clear about values, train staff on policies for addressing challenges, and create scenario plans as challenges inevitably occur. As CEO Rukmini Banerji of Pratham, which works on innovative interventions to address gaps in the education system, said, “If you have something that is very rigid, it makes working with government systems hard. If you are prescribing what should be done exactly, it may or may not survive within the system. There will be a lack of ownership. You need to be sure there is flexibility to align with different systems, but to also stay within core principles.”
Key Takeaway: Consider the many systems within which your model or approach will have to fit and ensure a high degree of flexibility to make that fit successful and sustainable.
Fundación Capital on the importance of regular communication
Ana Pantelic, former Chief Strategy Officer of Fundación Capital, which works to improve the economic and financial lives of vulnerable people around the world, made the point that if you want to build effective relationships, you cannot call people only when you need something from them. The Fundación Capital team takes the time to understand its partners’ needs and strives to add value by understanding the government’s own priorities and interests. This can be as simple as emailing an article of interest or inviting someone to an upcoming conference. The continued engagement not only builds a stronger connection but helps the enterprise continually learn from its government counterparts. She said, “You can’t just zoom in and out of government partnerships – you need to commit to the long-term.”
Key Takeaway: Prepare for productive long-term engagement by communicating regularly and prioritizing relationship building.
Explore more insights around strategies for partnering with government in the full report: Scaling Pathways’ Leveraging Government Partnerships for Scaled Impact.
The Skoll Foundation, USAID, Mercy Corps Ventures, and the Center of the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business have worked in partnership to create the Scaling Pathways series, sharing best practices and hard won insights in addressing scaling challenges from some of the world’s most successful social enterprises.
