Purpose & Strategic Importance
Internal communication tools developed for staff and volunteers can often be easily adapted for partner organisations. Sharing the strategy externally builds transparency, strengthens relationships, and helps align partner support with the National Society’s own priorities.
Activities & Decisions
What partners want to know
When receiving the strategy, partners usually look for details on:
- The recent history of the National Society, especially what it has achieved.
- How the strategy was developed, and who was consulted.
- The defined priorities of the National Society.
- The implications of changes foreseen for how the Society will operate.
- Any specific requests for funding or collaboration.
- How much the National Society plans to resource the strategy with its own means.
Developing a partner engagement plan
If the strategic plan will be used for fundraising or partnership building, it is recommended to:
- Develop a partner engagement plan.
- Proactively brief partners on the strategy.
- Present clear opportunities for support.
Examples & Learning
Partner engagement experiences
"Our strategic plan is a cornerstone of our engagement with partners and donors. We actively communicate its objectives through various channels, ensuring transparency and alignment. This clear communication, as evidenced by UNFPA incorporating our plan into their contract, fosters trust and facilitates resource mobilisation."
"We have many projects with Movement partners. Our strategic plan helps us to negotiate with our partners and align the projects to our priorities. Today, the partners often ask for our plan before collaborating for alignment."
"A direct impact of our strategic plan is the alignment of the IFRC unified plan and thematic priorities for the next three years to our programmatic priorities."
Core Concepts & Definitions
IFRC Unified Planning and Way of Working (WoW)
Unified Planning aims to bring together IFRC network members in a given country (the National Society, the IFRC and participating National Societies) to prepare a joint plan of international support aligned with the National Society’s strategic plan and priorities and IFRC Strategy 2030.
The Way of Working is a multi-year collective approach to operationalise IFRC Strategy 2030 at the country level in a way that responds to National Society strategies and country-specific needs. It aims to achieve predictability and coherency across countries and regions as part of a “bottom up” and network-wide approach to strategic and longer-term support.
