Collaboration and partnership

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Collaboration and partnership with stakeholders is an important part of grants administration. The needs of stakeholders should be considered in the development of grant opportunities, and it should not be assumed that the same approach will suit all grant opportunities.

Officials should consider the interaction of the grant with other government or non-government funded activities, particularly where there are similar policy outcomes.

Where policy responsibility or grants administration is shared between different agencies or levels of government, or where an agency or third party is responsible for the grants administration of another agency or entity, a focus on collaboration and partnership is critical.

Consultation and cooperation with government and non-government stakeholders can:

• improve the design and delivery of grants
• identify and reduce fragmentation and unnecessary duplication in grants
• improve the responsiveness, flexibility and relevance of grants
• reduce administration costs for government and non-government stakeholders
• support the appropriate sharing of responsibility for costs and risks among stakeholders
• support the development of appropriate outputs, accountability requirements, governance structures and documentation for the grant
• assist potential grantees to understand the grants administration process.

Co-design of grants with stakeholders may be appropriate in some cases, enabling stakeholders to have input on the design of the grant opportunity to meet their needs more effectively.

Effective collaboration and partnership with grantees is important throughout the grants administration process. A well-designed grant agreement will help establish the basis for effective working relationships based on collaboration between the grantee and the agency, and a shared understanding of objectives and expectations. Longer term grant agreements may be conducive to improved partnerships between grantees and agencies and should be considered where appropriate.

In pursuing collaboration and partnership opportunities, due regard should be had to any issues that may arise in respect of probity, conflict of interest and the potential for competitive advantage.