A case study in partnership development: The Greater Holyoke Partnership

In August 1988, a group of business, community, and educational leaders established the Greater Holyoke Partnership to assist the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts in meeting a variety of educational, economic, and housing challenges. This study identifies and describes those elements that have been important to the development of the Greater Holyoke Partnership and determines whether there have been factors and conditions that have limited Partnership from achieving its full potential in helping the City of Holyoke meet its needs. The review of the literature identifies eight elements and conditions critical to the successful establishment and operation of school-college-business partnerships: (1) strong leadership; (2) clear and sharply focused goals and objectives; (3) broad support; (4) clearly identified mutual needs and self-interests; (5) recognition of those involved; (6) acquisition of financial resources; (7) sustained momentum; and (8) evaluation of outcomes. Analysis of data from in-depth interviews, documents, and participant observation identifies eight factors that have been essential to the development and operation of the Greater Holyoke Partnership. The eight factors are: (1) leadership, especially the ability to involve a variety of individuals and instill in them, and the organizations they represent, a sense of ownership; (2) identification and selection of partners; (3) sharply focused goals; (4) identification of common needs and mutual self-interests; (5) acquisition of resources; (6) recognition and publicity; (7) accountability and systematic assessment of the Partnership\u27s impact; and (8) flexibility to sustain itself during changing economic circumstances. This study concludes with recommendations to strengthen the collaborative efforts of the Greater Holyoke Partnership and enhance its effectiveness, as well as a section on general recommendations for establishing and sustaining school-college-business partnerships