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Session Title: International & Cross-cultural Partnerships: Understanding how Partners Develop Relationships of Mutual Support and Value
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Panel Session 579 to be held in Laguna B on Friday, Nov 4, 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
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Sponsored by the International and Cross-cultural Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Carol Fendt, University of Illinois at Chicago, crfendt@hotmail.com
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| Discussant(s):
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| Cindy Shuman, Kansas State University, cshuman@ksu.edu
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| Abstract:
In developing international partnerships geared towards providing "support" to one of the partners, how do the partners develop relationships of mutual support and value? In other words, how do true partnerships develop? How do partner leaders monitor and assess the value they place on partners? What structures can be developed to support the expressed values of the partnership? What role does the evaluator play in ensuring that the expressed value of each partner are included in project development and implementation?
This panel will utilize a case study approach to explore the development of five different partnerships, how they expressed the values of each partner, and how evaluation was instrumental in ensuring the expressed values of the partners. Using an appreciative inquiry approach, project participants reveal how partnerships involved international/cross-cultural stakeholders in the development of the project's vision and partnership goals, and the process of monitoring, evaluating, and adapting these partnerships to the changing needs of the partners.
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Valuing our Partners: Lessons Learned Through Building Relationships
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| Jan Middendorf, Kansas State University, jmiddend@ksu.edu
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This session will share lessons learned from an impact evaluation conducted on a non-profit organization in Kenya. Comfort the Children (CTC) International helps Kenyans build and manage the sustainable infrastructure necessary to meet the challenges of everyday life. CTC's initiatives, focused on educational, environmental, economic, health and community development, directly impacts the community as a whole. CTC's programs are delivered through local relationships, providing the empowerment necessary to make those changes lasting while ensuring that the organization's resources, including donations of time and money from contributors and volunteers, have a maximum positive effect. The evaluator will share her insights on how the project develops various relationships and partnerships to further its mission. The presenter will also discuss how the evaluation valued individual characteristics while attempting to assess the overall impact of the whole program.
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Developing and Valuing Partners Every Step of the Way
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| Desmond Odugu, Lake Forest College, odugudes@gmail.com
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| Esther Hicks, Archdiocese of Chicago, ehicks@archchicago.org
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The partnership between the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools and the Diocese of Nsukka, Nigeria documents the development of a cross-cultural & international partnership. In 2007, the U.S. project manager organized a Committee of Interests, gathering organization leaders to begin researching the possibilities and challenges facing the Diocese of Nsukka in rebuilding its school system after the Biafra conflict in the late 60's. As a result, committee members and partners in the Diocese of Nigeria began a process of identifying specific problems, trained volunteers in Nsukka to assess school buildings, developed guidelines for building new schools, and conducted a Future Search Conference to craft the 2020 Vision goals currently driving the work of the partnership. The goals address issues of educational improvement, health impact on children, infrastructure and technology. The presenter will share his insights about the values of cross-cultural partnerships engaging in a regional plan for systemic change.
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Lessons Learned From Three Case Studies in Cross-cultural International Partnerships
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| Carol Fendt, University of Illinois at Chicago, crfendt@hotmail.com
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This presentation is a closer look at three distinct projects: Schools for the Children of the World, Mission Honduras International/Liberia Mission, and GEANCO Foundation. Each of these three cross-cultural and international projects have been working in the fields of education and/or health care, and focus on building local capacity.
Schools for the Children of the Worldis an NGO in Honduras and provides educational opportunity through quality school facilities in underdeveloped countries. Mission Honduras International is a US-based lay nonprofit which currently both funds and operates Liberia Mission. The project hires 4-5 international staff to serve as director and program coordinator/missioners for Liberia Mission, although the long-run focus is to build local capacity and fully turn operations over to the local Liberian staff who currently manage most of the programs. The GEANCO Foundation was established in 2005 with the goal of developing a world class hospital in Anambra, Nigeria.
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