[BCM] [SHINE] [E3] [PD] [CBF] [10] Partnership & Community Network Management

CBF-10 Partnership & Community Network Management

 

SHINE Children and Youth Services (SHINE) relies on strong partnerships and community networks to deliver its programs effectively and reach children and youth in need.

The CBF-10 Partnership & Community Network Management function ensures that partnerships are developed, maintained, and optimised to support SHINE’s mission.

Effective continuity of this function during a disruption is vital to maintaining service delivery, protecting stakeholder relationships, and ensuring ongoing community support.

This document provides a structured recovery procedure for CBF-10, ensuring SHINE can respond promptly and resume critical partnership and network activities with minimal disruption.

 

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WHAT: Function Overview and Importance

Function Description:

CBF-10 focuses on cultivating, managing, and leveraging partnerships with stakeholders, community groups, donors, and volunteers to support SHINE’s initiatives.

Importance:

• Enables seamless delivery of programs and services to children and youth.
• Maintains trust and engagement with stakeholders and community partners.
• Facilitates resource sharing, collaboration, and conflict resolution for adequate service provision.

Sub-CBFs:

1. CBF-10.1 Partnership Development – Identifying and establishing new partnerships.
2. CBF-10.2 Stakeholder Engagement – Maintaining active communication with partners.
3. CBF-10.3 Community Outreach – Extending services and engagement to local communities.
4. CBF-10.4 Network Maintenance and Coordination – Managing ongoing partnership activities.
5. CBF-10.5 Resource Sharing and Collaboration – Leveraging partner resources to support programs.
6. CBF-10.6 Partnership Monitoring and Evaluation – Assessing partnership effectiveness.
7. CBF-10.7 Conflict Resolution and Mediation – Addressing disputes within partnerships and networks.

 

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Objective

To establish a proactive framework that ensures SHINE is fully prepared to sustain critical partnership and community network functions during potential disruptions.

HOW – Implementation Steps:

1. Risk Assessment and Mitigation

• Conduct regular risk assessments to identify internal and external threats to partnership operations, including:
  • Natural disasters (floods, storms, or fires affecting physical offices).
  • Cybersecurity incidents (system breaches, data loss).
  • Stakeholder disengagement or withdrawal.
  • Resource shortages (funding, volunteers, or program materials).
• Prioritise partnerships and networks by impact and criticality to ensure resources are allocated effectively.
• Develop mitigation strategies, including backup communication methods, alternative venues, and contingency funding.

2. Partnership Documentation and Knowledge Management

• Maintain up-to-date records of all partnerships, including:
  • Contact information, roles, and responsibilities of key partners.
  • Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), service agreements, and contracts.
  • Communication history and engagement plans.
• Establish a centralised, secure repository accessible to designated staff for emergency reference.
• Ensure key personnel are familiar with documentation and escalation procedures.

3. Staff Preparedness and Role Allocation

• Identify critical staff members responsible for each Sub-CBF (CBF-10.1 to CBF-10.7) and assign alternates to cover absences.
• Provide training on emergency protocols, including:
  • How to activate the business continuity plan.
  • Temporary role responsibilities during disruptions.
  • Communication procedures with partners and community stakeholders.
• Conduct periodic drills and simulations to test readiness and staff response.

4. Communication Readiness

• Ensure multiple communication channels are available and functional:
  • Email, phone, messaging apps, and video conferencing platforms.
  • Social media or community alerts for broader stakeholder communication.
• Develop and pre-approve communication templates for rapid dissemination during crises.
• Maintain updated contact lists for internal teams, partners, donors, volunteers, and community organisations.

5. Technology and System Preparedness

• Regularly back up partnership and community network data, including:
  • Contact databases, program records, and reports.
  • Monitoring and evaluation results of alliances.
• Test remote access to systems and online collaboration tools.
• Ensure cybersecurity measures are in place, including firewalls, antivirus software, and access controls.

6. Resource and Logistics Planning

• Identify essential resources required to sustain critical partnership activities, such as:
  • Program materials, volunteer support, and transport arrangements.
  • Emergency funding or contingency budgets for partner support.
• Pre-position or maintain emergency kits for field-based outreach and community events.
• Coordinate with partners for resource-sharing agreements in case of disruption.

7. Monitoring and Early Warning

• Establish key indicators or triggers for potential disruptions, such as:
  • Delays or breakdowns in partner communication.
  • Low stakeholder engagement metrics.
  • Early signs of funding or resource constraints.
• Assign staff to monitor these indicators and promptly report any risks to the Recovery Lead.

8. Review and Continuous Improvement

• Schedule periodic reviews of the Pre-Crisis plan to incorporate lessons learned from past incidents or exercises.
• Update procedures, roles, and contact lists to reflect organisational or partner changes.
• Encourage feedback from staff and partners to improve readiness and resilience.

Outcome:

By implementing these proactive readiness steps, SHINE ensures that the CBF-10 function is prepared to maintain vital partnerships, sustain community networks, and respond efficiently in the event of a crisis, minimising disruption to services and stakeholder trust.

 

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Within T+24 Hours

Objective:

To rapidly restore essential partnership and community network functions, ensuring minimal disruption to stakeholder engagement and critical service delivery.

HOW – Implementation Steps:

1. Activation of the CBF-10 Recovery Team

• Immediately notify the designated CBF-10 Recovery Lead and other key team members.
• Confirm availability of staff assigned to each Sub-CBF (CBF-10.1 to CBF-10.7).
• Activate backup personnel for critical functions if the primary staff are unavailable.
• Establish a command structure for decision-making and reporting during the first 24 hours.

2. Rapid Situation Assessment

• Evaluate the nature and extent of the disruption:
  • Identify which Sub-CBFs and partnerships are most affected.
  • Determine if physical offices, systems, or communication channels are compromised.
• Document immediate impacts on stakeholder engagement, program delivery, and network operations.
• Identify urgent risks that may escalate if not addressed immediately.

3. Immediate Communication with Stakeholders

• Use pre-approved communication templates to inform key partners and stakeholders about:
  • The disruption and its anticipated duration.
  • Interim measures are in place to maintain engagement.
  • Points of contact for urgent queries or support.
• Prioritise high-impact partners (donors, government agencies, critical community partners) to prevent loss of trust.
• Maintain open, frequent communication through multiple channels (phone, email, messaging platforms).

4. Prioritisation of Critical Sub-CBFs

• Focus first on Sub-CBFs that have the most immediate impact on service continuity:
  • CBF-10.2 Stakeholder Engagement: Maintain active communication to reassure partners.
  • CBF-10.4 Network Maintenance and Coordination: Keep essential network operations functional.
  • CBF-10.5 Resource Sharing and Collaboration: Secure access to vital resources for programs and outreach.
• Deploy limited staff to handle lower-priority Sub-CBFs temporarily (e.g., monitoring or evaluation can follow once core functions stabilise).

5. Temporary Workarounds and Contingencies

• Implement alternative communication and collaboration tools if primary systems are down (e.g., mobile messaging apps, video calls, cloud-based platforms).
• Redirect workflows to functioning locations or remote operations.
• Reassign staff and redistribute workloads to maintain continuity of critical partnership activities.
• Maintain daily logs of actions taken and decisions made to support accountability and post-incident review.

6. Resource Mobilisation

• Activate pre-identified contingency resources, including:
  • Emergency funding for urgent partnership activities.
  • Volunteers or support personnel to assist in the resumption of network activities.
  • Temporary equipment or office space if physical locations are unavailable.
• Coordinate with partners to share resources and ensure program continuity.

7. Monitoring and Reporting

• Track the resumption progress of each Sub-CBF.
• Maintain continuous communication with the Recovery Lead regarding any challenges or gaps.
• Report status to senior management or the Business Continuity Committee as appropriate.

8. Documentation and Lessons Capture

• Record all immediate actions, decisions, and issues encountered during the first 24 hours.
• Identify areas where the plan worked well and where adjustments may be needed.
• Use this documentation to inform recovery actions after T+24 hours and future readiness improvements.

Outcome:

By following these resumption steps within the first 24 hours, SHINE ensures that critical partnerships remain active, stakeholder confidence is maintained, and the community network continues to support program delivery, even under disruptive conditions.

 

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After T+24 Hours

Objective:

To restore full functionality of the CBF-10 function, re-establish normal operations, and strengthen resilience for future disruptions.

HOW – Implementation Steps:

1. Comprehensive Situation Review

• Conduct a complete assessment of the disruption’s impact on all Sub-CBFs (CBF-10.1 to CBF-10.7):
  • Identify which partnerships, networks, and stakeholder engagements were affected.
  • Determine any long-term risks or consequences from the disruption.
• Review the effectiveness of resumption measures implemented within T+24 hours.
• Document lessons learned to improve future response and preparedness.

2. Restoration of Systems and Processes

• Restore all partnership and community network management systems:
  • Ensure access to databases, communication platforms, and reporting tools.
  • Recover any lost or corrupted data from secure backups.
• Re-establish normal workflow processes for all Sub-CBFs:
  • CBF-10.1 Partnership Development – Resume standard partnership acquisition and onboarding activities.
  • CBF-10.3 Community Outreach – Restart scheduled programs and outreach events.
  • CBF-10.6 Partnership Monitoring and Evaluation – Conduct follow-up evaluations and audits.

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Provide detailed updates to partners, donors, and community networks on:
  • The actions taken to manage the disruption.
  • Recovery progress and resumption of complete services.
  • Any temporary adjustments made to programs or resource allocations.
• Reconfirm partnership agreements, commitments, and schedules affected by the disruption.
• Restore stakeholder confidence and strengthen relationships through proactive engagement.

4. Resource Realignment and Mobilisation

• Reassess resource allocation to return to normal operations:
  • Return borrowed or temporary resources to original locations.
  • Ensure all staff are back in their designated roles.
  • Confirm availability of program materials, funding, and volunteer support.
• Re-engage partners in resource-sharing agreements for ongoing and future collaboration.

5. Post-Crisis Monitoring and Evaluation

• Conduct structured monitoring of the restored Sub-CBFs to identify lingering issues.
• Implement KPIs to assess:
  • Efficiency of resumption and recovery actions.
  • Stability of partnerships and community network activities.
  • Overall stakeholder satisfaction and engagement levels.
• Identify gaps in recovery and plan corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

6. Documentation and Continuous Improvement

• Complete a detailed post-incident report, including:
  • Timeline of events and actions taken.
  • Successes, challenges, and areas for improvement.
  • Recommendations for updating the business continuity plan.
• Review and revise the CBF-10 Pre-Crisis and Resumption procedures based on insights gained.
• Schedule staff training or drills to incorporate improvements and reinforce readiness.

7. Long-Term Network Stabilisation

• Resume full-scale community outreach programs and events (CBF-10.3).
• Reassess and strengthen network coordination and maintenance practices (CBF-10.4).
• Conduct formal evaluations of partnership effectiveness (CBF-10.6) to ensure sustained collaboration.
• Address any conflicts or issues that arose during the disruption through mediation processes (CBF-10.7).

Outcome:

By executing these recovery steps after T+24 hours, SHINE ensures that CBF-10 functions are fully restored, partnerships are stabilised, stakeholder confidence is reinforced, and the organisation is better prepared for future disruptions.

Full recovery safeguards SHINE’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality services to children and youth in the community.

 

The recovery procedure for CBF-10 Partnership & Community Network Management ensures that SHINE can maintain critical partnerships and community networks during and after a disruption.

By implementing proactive readiness measures, prioritising immediate resumption actions, and executing structured recovery steps, SHINE preserves its service continuity, stakeholder trust, and organisational resilience.

This plan reinforces SHINE’s commitment to its mission to effectively support children and youth, even in times of crisis.