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Advancing Digital Opportunity: A Higher Education Toolkit

Foster Partnerships

Partnerships and collaboration are essential for advancing digital opportunity initiatives within higher education institutions. By forging alliances with community organizations, local businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders, institutions can leverage collective strengths and resources to tackle complex challenges associated with the digital divide. These partnerships amplify efforts and foster innovation by integrating diverse perspectives and expertise. Higher education institutions serve as catalysts for these collaborations, bridging gaps between campus and community through strategic engagement of partners identified during the asset mapping process. 

Referring to the comprehensive asset inventory can help pinpoint potential partners whose missions and existing efforts best align with your institution's planned digital opportunity strategies and targeted covered populations. Benefits of fostering partnerships include:

  • Pooling resources, expertise, and funding for greater reach and impact
  • Promoting innovation through diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving
  • Expanding access to diverse networks, communities, and shared resources
  • Enhancing long-term sustainability through shared commitments and responsibilities
  • Improving resource allocation and access to funding opportunities
  • Gaining diverse perspectives and expertise, leading to innovative solutions.
  • Providing enhanced support for students, faculty, and staff through on-campus partnerships
  • Cultivating lasting impacts by uniting efforts toward common digital opportunity goals

Questions to consider

Some questions to consider when fostering partnerships include:

  • Review the asset map: Which on-campus departments or off-campus organizations (ISPs, businesses, schools, healthcare providers, workforce agencies, libraries, etc.) are potential partners?
  • What criteria will be used to prioritize and select ideal partners?
  • What are the goals and objectives of potential partnerships?
  • Do partners have complementary strengths to address different digital topics (digital skills, privacy, internet access, etc.)? How can collaborations help to better serve diverse community needs?
  • What unique resources, expertise, or networks can each partner contribute to the collaboration?
  • How will partnerships strategically advance the institution’s overall digital opportunity strategy and initiatives?

Tools

Various tools and resources can facilitate partnership development, project coordination, and assessing partnership effectiveness, including:

  • Collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack, Basecamp)
  • Project management tools (e.g., Trello, Asana)
  • Partnership agreement templates (e.g., MOUs)
  • Evaluation frameworks (e.g., NTEN's Partnership Assessment Tool)

Recommended Strategies

  • Establish clear partnership goals, objectives, roles, responsibilities, and accountability measures aligned with digital opportunity priorities.
  • Cultivate a culture of open communication, shared vision, and inclusive collaboration.
  • Develop formalized partnership agreements or Memoranda of Understanding when appropriate.
  • Regularly evaluate partnership effectiveness using established frameworks and metrics.
  • Leverage partners' networks and resources for broader community outreach and engagement.
  • Foster an environment of continuous improvement by adapting strategies based on feedback and evolving needs.