The aim of this report is to contribute to field dialogue and learning about how to structure complex systems change strategies involving multiple partners.
Funders who have ambitious goals to change large systems often create partnerships with intermediaries and evaluators to help realize their visions. But what does it take to effectively weave these partners together and position them for shared success?
We inform this report with a review of the literature on partnership structures, trust building, and developing a culture of learning, as well as case studies of three different initiatives involving this partnership triad, including one of the Irvine Foundation’s own investments.
In this report, we explore questions such as:
- What are common tensions in funder-intermediary-evaluator partnerships, and how can we overcome these tensions to harness collective expertise to advance complex change strategies?
- Using three cases of funder-intermediary-evaluator partnerships, how do these common tensions manifest, and what are some strategies and lessons to manage these tensions?
- What questions should funders ask themselves when weaving together partners to position them for success?
