For many social enterprises, partnering with government in some way is an essential strategy for achieving impact, especially when seeking systems-level change. Effectively leveraging government partnerships requires a marathon mindset: clearly articulating the goals you want to achieve, preparing for the race ahead, and tapping into helpful tactics to make progress as you move toward your goals.
This paper is not intended to be a step-by-step guide, but rather a sharing of lessons learned and advice. While there are lessons herein that are relevant for many audiences (including governments involved in these partnerships), this paper is targeted primarily at social enterprises. Some of the advice may seem obvious, but our interviewees emphasized that even the most obvious steps are sometimes skipped. No matter where you are in the process, the strategies outlined here are critical for effectively leveraging government partnerships to achieve impact at scale.
Erin Worsham, Kimberly Langsam, Ellen Martin
2018