Guide for Drafting a Partnership Agreement, Part 4

This is the final installment of a four part series designed to help churches develop a partnership agreement.

Procedures and Responsibilities (con’t.)

II. <Stateside Entity> i.e., Church, Association, or other

1. Enlistment and Orientation:
   1. The <Stateside Partner> will enlist and orient volunteer personnel
   2. The <Stateside Partner> will keep the <Overseas Entity> informed of the progress being made to fill requests.
   3. When the <Stateside Partner> is unable to fill a request, they will give at least a ____ day notice to the <Overseas Entity>
2. Volunteer Qualifications:
   1. Shall be active members of a Southern Baptist church.
   2. Volunteers are screened by <Stateside Partnership> through use of a volunteer application form
   3. Volunteers must not have personal habits, such as alcohol or tobacco use, which would compromise his/her Christian testimony.
   4. The <Overseas Entity> will inform of other culturally objectionable behaviour that must be avoided during participation.
   5. Each volunteer must have a background check done.
   6. Volunteers must be at least _____ years of age. (Most often this is determined by the field).
3. Volunteer Preparation:
   1. The <Stateside Partner> will develop trained and experienced team leaders
   2. The <Stateside Partner> will provide team orientation to cover issues such as travel documents, international travel issues such as vaccinations and security, travel tips, basic preparation, etc.
   3. The <Stateside Partner> will ensure that every volunteer is prepared to share a personal testimony
4. Expenses:
   1. The participating volunteer will be responsible for:
      1. Travel expenses
      2. Travel insurance
      3. Field costs such as room, meals, transportation, interpreters, etc.
      4. Project related work expenses
   2. Field costs and project work expenses will be clearly stated on the volunteer request form.

NOTE: It is important to consider the total costs involved. Most everyone reacts negatively to being told that they have to pay an additional amount due to an underestimation of costs. It is always better to have money left over than it is to have to ask volunteers for more funds.

        5.            Reporting:

Upon completion of the project, the team leader of the <stateside partner> will gather evaluations and testimonies from team members and forward copies of the evaluation to the <Overseas Entity> field coordinator.

Feedback through observations and testimonies is essential to improve future projects. Develop an appropriate evaluation form and take the time to read them.  

Evaluation

A comprehensive annual evaluation of the partnership should be built into the overall goals and action plans. Navigating a long term partnership without evaluation tools is like driving a car down the highway without your fuel, oil, and temperature gauges, a speedometer, and other instruments that constantly evaluate the car’s performance. The purpose is to review the objectives and goals and make any needed adjustments. This is the responsibility of the leadership team.

Special Considerations

A final section in the agreement can highlight any special considerations particular to the partnership. This may include specific guidelines for team recruiting, government regulations or restrictions of the host country, special instructions for construction projects, etc.

Signatures

The partnership agreement document should be signed by the Volunteer Coordinator for the Stateside Partner, and the Field Coordinator for the Overseas Entity. If the Volunteer Coordinator is someone other than the pastor of the church or the associational DOM, it would be advisable for the person in these positions to sign the document.