The Working with Partners module helps leaders understand how to build, maintain, and leverage effective partnerships that support organisational goals. It focuses on the behaviours, communication skills, and strategic thinking required to collaborate with external organisations, agencies, suppliers, or community partners in a way that creates shared value and delivers positive outcomes.

This unit blends relationship management with practical collaboration tools - giving learners the capability to work confidently and professionally with a wide range of partners.

Who It’s For

This module is ideal for:

• Middle and senior managers who regularly engage with external partners
• Leaders involved in cross-organisational projects, service delivery, or community initiatives
• Individuals responsible for supplier relationships, contracts, or multi-agency work
• Anyone who wants to strengthen collaboration and achieve better outcomes through partnership

If you want to build partnerships that are productive, credible, and mutually beneficial, this module gives you the groundwork.

What You’ll Learn

Participants will:

• Understand why partnership working matters and where it adds value
• Learn how to identify, assess, and select suitable partners
• Explore how to build trust, credibility, and clarity from the outset
• Strengthen communication and negotiation skills for partnership environments
• Understand how to align expectations, objectives, and responsibilities
• Learn how to manage challenges such as conflict, differing priorities, or cultural differences
• Develop strategies for evaluating partnership effectiveness and sustaining long-term collaboration

Module Highlights

• Frameworks for partnership development, including scoping, alignment, and governance
• Tools and techniques for communication, negotiation, and conflict management
• Real-world examples of successful and unsuccessful partnership working
• Reflection activities to explore personal influence and collaborative style
• Structured guidance for meeting the module’s assessment requirements
• Clear links between strong partnerships, service quality, efficiency, and organisational performance

The Outcome

By the end of this module, learners will be able to develop and manage partnerships in a structured, confident, and professional way. They’ll understand how to build trust, navigate competing priorities, maintain effective communication, and resolve challenges before they impact performance.

They’ll walk away with the capability to create partnerships that deliver results and support long-term organisational success.

Take the Next Step

Ready to collaborate more effectively across organisational boundaries?

The Working with Partners module gives you the insight, tools, and leadership approach needed to build strong, productive partnerships that benefit your team, your organisation, and the partners you work with.