 
KAIROS POLICY ON PARTNERSHIPS
April 4th 2006
A. CONTEXT
1. Our Christian Vision of Partnership
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, is itself a deep
and lasting partnership of churches and church-related organizations,
each bringing its own distinct vision and mandate to a common mission
to transform God’s world. This partnership is based on the
belief that these organizations are able to more effectively accomplish
this transformation together as they share their gifts with one
another.
The same mission that calls churches together in Canada, also calls
us to work together with partner organizations in Canada and around
the world. The characteristics of our KAIROS partnership also inform
our other relationships: solidarity, respect, mutuality, integrity,
and accountability.
Our vision of partnership flows from our faith understanding that
the gifts we receive from God such as knowledge, spiritual insight,
life experience, and the fruits of the earth are not ours to possess
or hoard, but must be shared freely for the benefit of all. Partnership
allows KAIROS and other organizations to share with one another
the gifts that God has provided for the good of all humanity.
We recognize that the historical disparities between North and
South, rich and poor, white and coloured people, men and women,
to give a few examples, are injustices to which God calls us to
bear witness along with our partners. The wealth of societies in
the North has often been accumulated at the expense of people in
the South. The resources of the world have not been distributed
in a fair and equitable manner.
Partnership is itself a response to these injustices, as well as
a means to address the ongoing inequality and oppression that is
manifest in our world today. Exploitation, war, and human rights
violations have many causes but are fundamentally the result of
broken relationships and a refusal to recognize that all human beings
are created in the image of God. Partnership involves a commitment
to be in right relationship with others, an expression of human
solidarity, and a willingness to live out God’s mission in
the world together.
For KAIROS, partnership is rooted in knowing that all people are
God’s people. With God’s grace, and in solidarity with
people of any or even no faith, we can accomplish what often seems
impossible – peace, rooted in justice.
2. The Scope of KAIROS Partnerships
In Canada, KAIROS works through and with a number
of coalitions, networks, and organizations. Some of these relationships
are formal and long term, while others are informal and temporary
arrangements. In the global South, KAIROS partners
with many organizations, including churches, church-related organizations,
people’s movements and coalitions and networks.
Some KAIROS partnerships in the global South involve providing
funds for partner programs, while others do not. Whether or not
funding is involved, all partnerships in the South include the sharing
of information, joint advocacy efforts, and solidarity.
Since partnerships are relationships that shape who we are and
what we do, we are deliberate in forming these relationships. KAIROS
follows the Partnership Principles in the CCIC Code of Ethics. (See
Appendix I)
B. CATEGORIES OF PARTNERSHIPS
1. ADVOCACY PARTNERS
KAIROS acknowledges that advocacy partnerships are an invaluable
tool in the fulfilment of the mandate given to the organization
by the members.
Definition: Most usually, but not exclusively, Canadian
and other organizations in the North which require a formal declaration
of intent to join, so that KAIROS would be publicly listed as a
participant or member of that organization or coalition of organizations.
Examples: America Policy group of the Canadian Council for
International Cooperation (Ottawa), the Halifax Initiative (Ottawa),
Campaign 2000 (Toronto), the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (Geneva),
Ethical Trade Action Group etc.
Current Practice: It is particularly appropriate to make
reference to Category G (Endorsement or Sign-on to a Statement not
Initiated by KAIROS) of the Protocol on Public Statements for guidance
in regards to this type of partnership. KAIROS staff prepares an
annual list of partner groups (see Tab 4 in the Board Policy Manual).
Occasion: Request for public membership in an organization
or a coalition, for participation in active campaigns they are promoting.
Process: KAIROS staff should take the lead in receiving
and developing knowledge of, and interest in, partnership requests.
Consultation should take place with the Management Team and Program
Committees concerned, as soon as possible. The Board will be asked
to give final approval to proceed with Advocacy Partnerships.
Guidelines for Approval of Partnerships with Advocacy Partners:
- KAIROS will consider whether joining a proposed partnership
brings added value in terms of advancing KAIROS’ mission.
- KAIROS is more willing to consider joining national-based advocacy
partnerships than local or regional partnerships.
- Where KAIROS is invited to join a coalition of groups, all
other current members of the partnership must be clearly stated.
- KAIROS staff, in preparing a proposal for joining an advocacy
partnership, will provide the board with an overview of the positive
and any possible negative implications of such action, be they
financial, political, legal or impact on the KAIROS workplan.
- Only exceptionally will KAIROS approve an advocacy partnership
when several or more of its members are already part of such a
partnership.
2. SOLIDARITY PARTNERS
Definition: These are most usually partners overseas with
whom KAIROS has a solidarity relationship. Some of these partners
are organizations that had a long historical relationship with the
inter-church coalitions prior to KAIROS. Others include organizations
whose identities lend themselves to solidarity relationships, such
as ecumenical justice organizations, human rights organizations
overseas, and eco-justice organizations. Still others are international
networks and coalitions, such as Jubilee South and the Hemispheric
Social Alliance, with which KAIROS has a close association. KAIROS
does not necessarily fund these organizations; neither does it become
a member. But KAIROS’ relationship with these organizations
has grown over the years either as a result of joint work, requests
from the partner for solidarity in times of difficulty, joint advocacy
work, or visits and exchanges based on similar mandates.
Examples: Jubilee South, Focus on the Global South, etc.
Current Practice: KAIROS currently has no list of solidarity
partners and no process for initiating solidarity partnerships.
Most of these current partnerships were grandfathered into KAIROS
from the previous coalitions. The care of these relationships tends
to rest with individual staff that recognize their importance for
the work of KAIROS and for the well-being of the partner.
Occasion: Based on shifting work priorities or new areas
of work, KAIROS may be drawn into a solidarity relationship with
a partner overseas or an international network/coalition.
Process: The KAIROS Management Team will receive and approve
requests for entering into a longer-term solidarity relationship
with overseas partners, networks or coalitions. KAIROS staff will
include this category in the list presented annually to the board.
3. KAIROS-FUNDED PARTNERS: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM (GPP,
co-financed by CIDA)
Definition: GPP partners are civil society organizations
in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and
the Pacific regions that receive funding from KAIROS for their development,
peace, and justice programs and with whom KAIROS has a formal agreement.
Examples: Organizacion Feminina Popular in Colombia, World
Student Christian Federation in Kenya, Middle East Council of Churches
in Lebanon, and Committee for Asian Women in Thailand.
Current practice: GPP partners must be approved by a board
committee (the GPP Monitoring Committee) as part of a triennial
program that is recommended to the KAIROS board and sent on to CIDA.
Occasion: New partners may be sought as a result of emerging
new work or the need to replace work that has ended with another
partner. As a rule, new GPP partners would be considered in tandem
with the proposal to CIDA but occasionally, there may be a need
to form a partnership mid-program.
Process and guidelines: A full policy on initiating and
developing new partnerships, as well as ending partnerships is attached
as Appendix 2.
3.1 Initiation of GPP Partnerships
The following are KAIROS’ procedures. Our potential partners
may have their own policies on this subject. This policy also takes
into consideration the conditions that govern our funding relationship
with CIDA.
3.1.1 Exploratory phase
Potential partners may be suggested by a Monitoring Committee
member, a Board member, a KAIROS working group, or a KAIROS staff
person.
Exploration of a new partner may be prompted by a gap left because
of the ending of a partnership, additional funding for a new piece
of joint work, or the need to address a specific area of work
identified by the KAIROS board or Monitoring Committee.
Before an exploration of partnership begins, The Monitoring Committee
will be provided with the reasons for undertaking such an exploration
and given sufficient background information about the partner.
A KAIROS staff person or a Monitoring Committee member staff
person will visit the potential partner to assess the partner’s:
- organizational mission and its compatibility with the KAIROS
mission
- capacity to implement programs
- governance structure
- legal status
- interest in working with KAIROS
- commitment to and integration of gender justice
- financial management capacity
- past track record of success
- other current partners of the organization
Some ways of obtaining this assessment may include discussions
with the staff of the partner, meetings with board members, visits
to project sites, review of financial reports and accounting systems,
procurement of annual reports, etc.
The staff person visiting a potential partner will also provide
the partner with information about:
- KAIROS’ mission and mandate
- Our partnership values and principles
- Our approach to partnership activities and implementation of
programs
- Our relationship with CIDA and the implications of this for
funding arrangements, including CIDA requirements.
The KAIROS representative will write a report based on the visit
to the partner. The report will include relevant appendices such
as recent annual reports, financial statements, organizational brochures
or resource materials, major policy statements of the organization,
and recent program reports. The report will also identify the areas
of congruence between the partner’s objectives and work, and
those of KAIROS. The report will be shared with the KAIROS Team
Leader, the appropriate KAIROS regional working group, other GPP
staff, and the Monitoring Committee.
The appropriate KAIROS regional working group will be invited to
make any recommendations regarding partnership to the staff person,
who will convey them to the Monitoring Committee.
If both KAIROS and the partner feel there is sufficient common
ground, KAIROS will proceed with an initial phase of partnership.
3.1.2 Initial Phase
The Monitoring Committee will review the report from the exploration
phase and decide whether the proposed partnership meets the criteria
for a KAIROS partnership, including fit with the current or future
CIDA proposal. A recommendation or letter of reference from another
partner in the same region that is well known to KAIROS or one of
its members may aid the Monitoring Committee’s decision.
If the decision is positive, KAIROS will invite the partner into
an initial phase of partnership, approximately one year. If the
response to the invitation is positive, KAIROS will receive project/program
funding proposals from the partner for an amount no greater than
$25,000. Core funding cannot be provided during this initial stage.
During this initial period, KAIROS will make every attempt to work
jointly with the partner and exchange information. A KAIROS representative
will make at least one visit to the partner during the implementation
of a KAIROS funded program/project.
At the end of the year, KAIROS staff will present an evaluation
report to the Monitoring Committee. The Monitoring Committee will
decide whether the partnership continues into the long-term.
3.1.3 Long-term phase
If KAIROS and the partner wish to pursue a long-term partnership,
they will sign a mutually acceptable agreement demonstrating that
all parties have negotiated objectives, expectations, roles, responsibilities,
and contributions to the partnership.
Once this agreement has been signed, KAIROS will receive funding
proposals for a maximum three years duration. All commitments beyond
one year are conditional, in the partner contract agreement, on
KAIROS’ own funding situation.
3.1.4 Ending Partnerships
KAIROS partnerships in the work of global justice are generally
long term. However, they are not necessarily forever. This policy
helps ensure that partnerships may be ended, if need be, in a transparent,
equitable and fair manner.
Circumstances which may lead to the ending of a partnership, include
the following:
- Changes in the political, social, or economic context -- and
our analysis of how KAIROS can most effectively help -- indicate
that we need to give priority, with our limited resources, to
new areas of work.
- Financial or other circumstances result in the ending of a KAIROS
thematic or geographic program to which the partnership was crucial.
- An agreed upon piece of joint work has come to an end. To the
extent possible, end dates will be specified in the original partnership
agreement.
- KAIROS and/or the partner organization have their mandates
significantly changed so that the work of KAIROS and its partner
is no longer sufficiently congruent to facilitate the partnership.
- KAIROS and/or the partner organization have their capacity
significantly reduced to the point that a partnership is no longer
feasible.
- KAIROS and its partner have significant policy differences
on an issue vital to the partnership and agree that these differences
are not reconcilable.
3.1.5 Process
- KAIROS will inform its partners with as much advance notice
as possible if a partnership is in question.
- Where a partnership is in question because of changing mandates,
policy differences, or capacity issues, KAIROS will have thorough
and transparent discussions with the partner regarding the issue
in question. All reasonable attempts will be made to resolve differences.
- Every attempt will be made to negotiate and agree upon the specific
terms for ending a partnership.
- In those cases where a partnership involves the transfer of
funds from KAIROS to a partner, KAIROS will consider making transition
funding available for the partner on a case by case basis, considering
factors such as the length of the partnership, partner needs,
and KAIROS’ financial situation.
- When a decision has been made to end a partnership, KAIROS
will inform the partner in writing. This letter will include a
review of the process that facilitated the decision and any specific
terms associated with the ending of the partnership.
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