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QUILT Partnership Checklist: Shaping A Partnership

The QUILT project developed this checklist to assist early education programs in developing strong partnerships that provide high quality, full-day, full-year comprehensive services to young children. Partners can use this tool to raise questions and prioritize critical issues to work together in building a partnership.

Part I     Partnership Components

Part I identifies questions to consider when planning and developing a strong and sustainable partnership. Since the issues are interrelated, partners may approach the list in any order that works best for them. Use the checkboxes at the beginning of each question for prioritizing or grouping questions. Plan to eventually consider all items.

1. Systems
         a. Planning and Decision Making
         b. Communication
         c. Record Keeping and Documentation
         d. Oversight and Continuous Program/Partnership Improvement
         e. Staff Development
2. Staff
3. Services
4. Resources
   

Part II     State/Tribal Early Education Systems

Part II raises questions about the early education systems in the partners' state or tribe to help partners understand decision making processes and systems in early education, the policies that affect partnerships, and key people to contact for assistance.

      a. Decision Making
      b. Child Care and Development Fund
      c. Prekindergarten
      d. Head Start

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QUILT Partnership Checklist: Shaping a Partnership, Part I

Partnership Components		Not Yet Addressed	Under Discussion	Finalized	Action Steps
1a. Systems—Planning and Decision Making
	How will partners assess community and partners' data, services, strengths, and needs?
	How will this information be used to tailor partnership design, services, and decisions?
	Who from each program will guide the partnership?
	How will partners, staff, and parents be part of the decision making?
	What resources, such as technical assistance, an advisory committee, consultants, and colleagues can the partnership use to assist them in planning and decision making?
	How will decision making bodies, such as boards of directors, parent groups, and Head Start policy councils be involved?
	How will issues be resolved?
	How will the partners develop the written partnership plan to document design and services?
	How will the partnership record and track ongoing decisions?
1b. Systems—Communication
	How will the partners communicate? How often will meetings occur? When? Who will attend?
	How will the leadership inform the staff about the partnership's development and goals?
	What ongoing opportunities will the staff have to give input to the partnership?
	How will the staff be oriented to partnership operations?
	What procedures will ensure that the issues of the parents, staff, and administrators are raised and addressed?
	How will partners ensure two-way communication with parents?
	Who will make final decisions?
	Does the partnership have a conflict resolution policy?
	How will technology be used to enhance communication?
1c. Systems—Record Keeping and Documentation
	What documentation and service review system will be used?
	How will technology be used to enhance this system?
	How will records be maintained to ensure integrated service delivery?
	Who will have access to records? What is the partnership's confidentiality policy?
	How will records be reviewed and feedback given?
1d. Systems—Oversight and Continuous Program/Partnership Improvement
	How will observation of practices and services occur?
	Have the partners determined what information and data need to be tracked to ensure high quality?
	Who will review written documentation, records, and data, and how often will it be done?
	How will the analysis of information and observation occur and be communicated to others? Who is responsible?
	What written reporting systems will the partnership use and how often?
	How will identified areas translate to measurable goals?
	How will progress be assessed?
1e. Systems—Staff Development
	How will staff development needs be determined?
	Does the partnership have an overall plan for staff development goals as well as individual goals for each staff member?
	What approaches, such as formal training, coaching, mentoring, supervision strategies, academic courses, or technical assistance best facilitate staff development goals?
	What resources can the partnership draw on for staff development?
	What process will partners use for allocating training resources?
	What are each partner's and their funders' staffing policies and qualification requirements?
	How will the partnership track progress toward meeting these requirements?
	How will the partners handle staff release time for development?
2. Staff
	Do all partnership staff meet the qualification requirements specified by funders?
	How will new staff be hired? Who decides?
	How will parents be involved in staff selection?
	How will position descriptions reflect partnership responsibilities?
	What orientation will staff receive about their new partnership responsibilities?
	How will staff evaluations integrate new partnership responsibilities?
	Are partners familiar with each other's compensation packages?
	Have staff compensation issues occurred as a result of the partnership?
	If yes, what plan does the partnership have to address these issues?
3. Services
	Has each partner shared its funder's eligibility and service requirements?
	How will partners learn more about each other's service policies, philosophy, and strengths?
	What program will provide which service? Why? When, where, and how?
	How will the partnership determine child and family eligibility?
	How will partnership families be identified, recruited, and selected?
	What is the partnership's intake process?
	How will partners introduce the fee collection policies to partnership families?
	Have the partners considered service options if parents are unable to pay fees?
	How will staffing plans ensure comprehensive, integrated services for families?
	How will parental involvement and parent education occur?
	How will home visits to families occur?
4. Resources
	What resources does each partner bring to the partnership?
	What additional resources can partners access?
	How will resources be blended/braided for partnership?
	Which agency will have financial responsibility for what resources?
	How will the partnership's financial and resource decisions be made?
	What financial reports will the partnership generate? Who will receive them, when, how?
	What is the fee payment policy and schedule for partnership families?
Use this space to list additional issues that you and your partners need to track.

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QUILT Partnership Checklist: Shaping a Partnership, Part II

	Early Education Systems	Discussed	To Be Discussed	Next Steps
5a. State/Tribal Early Education Systems—Decision Making
	What role do each of the following groups play in your state's early education decision making? state legislature, state agency or department, boards, tribal council, county councils or groups, tribe
	Are there local, tribal, or county decision-making councils or groups?
	Do the program partners have representation on this group?
	How do partners receive information and influence the decisions of the group?
5b. State/Tribal Early Education Systems—Child Care and Development Fund
	Which state or tribal agency administers the federal Child Care and Development Fund?
	Is there a local, county or tribal government child care office? Where is it located?
	With whom do you need to meet from that office?
	What additional information does the partnership need about child care to ensure smooth operations?
	How will the partners obtain this information?
	How are the partners kept abreast of new issuances from the federal Child Care Bureau?
5c. State/Tribal Early Education Systems—Prekindergarten (preK)
	Is there preK funding available in your state or locality?
	Which state or tribal agency administers the preK funding?
	Is there a local or county preK office? Where is it located?
	With whom do you need to meet from that office?
	What information does the partnership need about preK to ensure smooth operations?
	How will the partners obtain this information?
5d. State/Tribal Early Education Systems—Head Start
	Has your state or tribe appropriated funds for Head Start programs?
	Are there state-level or tribal policies and resources that affect partnerships with Head Start programs?
	What are the state-level or tribal policies and resources? How do they affect the partnership?
	Do the partners know where they can get additional information about Head Start standards?
	How are the partners kept abreast of new issuances from the federal Head Start Bureau?
	What other Head Start information do partners need to ensure smooth operations?
	How will the partners obtain this information?

Updated: 2001

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