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  4. Dimension 2: Engagement and Partnerships

Dimension 2: Engagement and Partnerships

Engagement and partnership consist of collaborative relationships within the organization and with external partners, stakeholders, families and community, and cultural groups to support early learning systems and inform improved practices. Productive relationships involve building trust, seeking feedback, and actively collaborating toward shared objectives. While organizational engagement and partnership often require structures to facilitate collaboration (such as, interagency agreements), the structures are part of infrastructure dimension. This second dimension features the resulting relationship and collaboration between the partners.

Establishing and maintaining relationships with stakeholders (such as, state agency partners, advocates, providers, parents, and oversight groups)

Benchmark of Capacity:
High Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Moderate Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Basic Level in Place
  • The organization has built, leveraged, and maintained strong, high-impact relationships with variety of relevant parties (state and federal government entities as well as those from the for-profit and private sectors)
  • Relationships are deeply anchored in stable, long-term, and mutually beneficial collaboration.
  • The organization has effectively built and leveraged a few key relationships with some of the project’s relevant parties.
  • Some relationships are not fully developed.
  • Some relationships may be precarious or not mutually beneficial.
  • The organization is in the early stages of building relationships (such as, limited communication and no defined structure or planning) and collaborating with agency partners, families, providers, and other stakeholders vital to the organization’s work.

Establishing and sustaining local community presence and involvement

Benchmark of Capacity:
High Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Moderate Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Basic Level in Place
  • Your organization is widely known within communities in the state and is perceived as actively engaged and extremely responsive.
  • Many members of the communities are actively and constructively involved in your organization efforts (such as, implementing goals).
  • Your organization is reasonably well known within communities within the state and is perceived as open and responsive to community needs.
  • Community members are constructively involved in management efforts.
  • Your organization’s presence is somewhat recognized and is viewed neutrally by communities.
  • Some members of larger communities are constructively engaged.

Implementing formal feedback loops as part of stakeholder engagement

Benchmark of Capacity:
High Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Moderate Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Basic Level in Place
  • Your organization has a formal feedback loop in place that:
  • provides opportunities for families and providers to engage in leadership and inform decisions;
  • ensures effective lines of communication among service providers, administrators, policymakers, and other professionals across sectors regarding goals and policies;
  • uses available data and assessment systems to reach out and inform stakeholders about project efforts; and
  • measures stakeholder engagement and, in particular, parent and provider engagement with decisions.
  • Your organization has some elements of a feedback loop in place that:
  • connects with families and providers;
  • has some lines of communication among service providers, administrators, policymakers, and other professionals across sectors regarding their goals and policies; and
  • is beginning to measure stakeholder engagement.
  • Your organization has started to plan the necessary elements of a feedback loop to authentically engage parents, providers, and stakeholders in a more formal process to inform decisionmaking.

Mobilizing and motivating stakeholders

Benchmark of Capacity:
High Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Moderate Level in Place		 Benchmark of Capacity:
Basic Level in Place
  • Stakeholders most affected by the project see the work as inspiring and motivating.
  • Stakeholders are authentically engaged in taking action.
  • Meetings are held regularly at convenient times for stakeholders and are well attended.
  • Your organization has the ability to mobilize a broad range of stakeholder groups into specific action.
  • Those with potential to be most affected by the project are knowledgeable and likely to be engaged.
  • Meetings are held regularly and are generally well attended.
  • Your organization has the ability to motivate a segment of stakeholders to mobilize.
  • Those with potential to be most affected by the project have some knowledge of the work.
  • Meetings are held regularly to inform but attendance varies widely.
  • Your organization has the ability to motivate a small core group of stakeholders.
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Promoting Children's Development
Quality Improvement