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Partnership Foundations

Setting shared goals and objectives​

Define goal and objectives

Defining a shared goal is one of the most important foundational activities of a partnership. It aligns partners on the project’s focus and boundaries, serving as the basis from which future activity will follow.​
  • It should be clear how the goal and objectives contribute to wider gender norms change. At the objectives level, consider how to catalyse change on at least one social level- individual, interpersonal, community, and societal. This can leverage media as a powerful tool to challenge harmful gender stereotypes and amplify positive gender norms through content creation and dissemination.​
  • Partners may have different goals. When this occurs it’s important to maintain transparency from the start, helping identify how varying goals can align for the collaboration.​
  • Align with National Policies and Legislation. Examine the national laws related to the gender norms you aim to address. Ensuring your actions are in harmony with these policies provides a solid basis for collaboration with governmental bodies or for holding them accountable to their commitments.​
  • Co-creation is recommended. By actively involving partner team members in shared decision-making, there will be more buy-in and commitment to mutually valued outcomes. ​
  • Include young people in co-creating the shared goal and defining objectives. They can contribute through focus groups, workshops, advisory panels, surveys and polls. This process ensures their perspectives and experiences shape the project’s direction.
  • Integrate with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework, to ensure objectives are measurable and regularly evaluated.​
  • Consider funders; aligning objectives with funders’ needs and involve them in the process to keep them informed.​

The output should be approved by all partners in a shared document, serving as a reference throughout the collaboration. It also provides a mutual understanding of key terms and concepts for gender norms change. This can be part of an MOU and Terms of Reference