Exploring critical success factors for effective collaborative relationships

Building capacity for mutually beneficial and responsive partnering is prominent in scholarly and public discourses on university-community engagement, with particular emphasis on ‘how’ to manage and sustain key stakeholder relationships as a fundamental cornerstone of partnership development. Genuine community engagement promotes the development of relationships founded on a collective, flexible approach that acknowledges interdependence, rather than dependence (Butcher J, Egan LA, Ralph K, Australas J Commun Engage 2(3):106-112, 2008; Sinclair, Asia Pac Public Relat J 12(1):1-20, 2011). As with PACE at Macquarie University, this involves designing and developing processes in collaborative and inclusive ways that elicit buy-in and create feelings of ownership by stakeholders. In seeking to understand critical success factors for improving and sustaining relationships as core to partnering with PACE, this chapter presents findings of three research studies conducted into the implementation and outcomes of the PACE program. Results of these studies centred on core elements of the program: communication and collaboration; roles and responsibilities; expectations and contributions.