Creating partnership synergy: the critical role of community stakeholders

While there are compelling reasons for professionals in health and human services administration to collaborate with other stakeholders in the community, the experience with such partnerships thus far has generated more frustration than results. Recent research on partnership synergy--a key indicator of a successful collaboration process--suggests that many of these partnerships are inadvertently compromising their own success by the way they involve community stakeholders. Applying research findings to current practice, this article shows how the ability of a partnership to understand and address complex problems--and sustain interventions over time--is related to who is involved in the partnership, how community stakeholders are involved, and the leadership and management of the partnership. The article addresses key challenges that health and human services administrators face when they seek to optimize the role of community stakeholders in partnership.