What local organizations need to do to foster successful partnerships

By mobilizing resources and leveraging knowledge, partnerships are crucial to meet the needs of highly specialized development projects. Strong and innovative ties between development partners are also essential for maximizing aid efficiency and impact. So how can local organizations position themselves for successful development partnerships? Devex Editor Rolf Rosenkranz sat down with David Spiro, Asia regional office director at RTI International, to get his take on how nongovernmental organizations can foster meaningful partnerships with international implementers. There are a number of internal challenges that NGOs struggle with when trying to find partners like RTI. In this first video, Spiro highlights some of the most common and salient obstacles — many of which are related to the lack of a solid business model. Spiro also recommends organizations pay particular attention to core funding, which is crucial to support not only their organizational and administrative costs, but also their long-term strategic capacity. Watch the video below to find out how NGOs can build both their technical and operational capabilities. Once all the right boxes are ticked, what can local organizations do to work with RTI? In this last video clip, Spiro puts forth some of the main elements RTI takes into consideration when on the lookout for a local partner. Can you think of any other organizational requirements NGOs should fulfill to foster effective partnerships? Share your views by leaving a comment below. See our Devex Partnerships Forum topic page, check out our Storify page and tweet #DevexForum!