Section 03: Making a decision to exit/transition
How can you decide when to exit / transition from a partnership? There are usually 3 main reasons:
Stopping as success:
You and your partners have done what you set out to do, and there’s no longer a need for continued collaboration.
No longer viable/ effective:
The partnership is no longer viable or effective: This can be for internal and external reasons e.g. you can’t resolve your differences, there’s been an integrity crisis, the context has changed so much that the original rationale for the partnership is no longer valid, or the added value of working in partnership isn’t being realised.
Change in strategy:
You or your partners have a new strategy or approach e.g. your partners might be ready to take on more responsibility or your organisation may want to focus on an alternative thematic area/region.
Read more on Stopping as Success
Here’s a link to these exit / transition criteria with some additional guidance to help you and your partners decide if it’s time to exit / transition.
3.1.1: Elements to consider when making a decision
Talk with your staff and partners about why and how the exit / transition will take place. For example:
What do your organisational values e.g. ‘transparency’ mean in practice for any transition process?
Is it exit or transition? Which is the preferred option and why?
Would it help to identify specific ‘exit or transition principles’ that will guide the process? For instance, these are the "Responsible Exit Principles" identified by former NGO "Everychild":
As far as possible, ensure that the work we have done is sustainable – this could be continuation of services or lasting changes in children’s lives.
Ensure that exit does not have a detrimental effect on children and communities where we work.
As far as possible, ensure that expertise and momentum for change in country is not lost.
What’s a realistic timeframe for the exit or transition? 2 years notice minimum is ideal, so partners can plan for alternative funding sources, but timings may be shorter/longer depending on the nature of your relationship and how dependent the partners are.
How will you track progress towards the exit or transition and your respective responsibilities? See sample exit indicator tracking sheet
How will you manage the risks associated with exit or transition e.g. for service- users?
How can you help partners to communicate their success stories?
Another example of exit principles is the ones used by American Red Cross.
Praxis Note #70 has further context on Every child's responsible exit principles
Here you can find a blog about why principles are necessary during exit
Document the evidence for your decision.
Partnerships rely on relationships which can be very personal. It’s therefore extra important to collect evidence to justify your decision, which you can share with partners, staff, Board members etc. This can help to provide reassurance that the decision is not the result of a personal issue between individuals or a sudden whim, but has been thought through and is an organisational position rather than a personal one.
Invest in the exit or transition.
Agree if any additional investment can be provided to capacity strengthening support for leadership development, fundraising, etc. if required (and in line with your organisational strategy).
What NOT to do: "decision-based evidence making"
Sadly sometimes, organisations will make a decision to exit from a partner on a whim. Maybe there’s been a personal conflict between the INGO Director and the partners’ Director, or maybe the partner has become more vocal and critical about the INGO’s ways of working and requirements which the INGO isn't ready to accept. Sometimes INGOs might ask partners to invest time in a partnership review, simply to gather ‘evidence’ for a decision that they’ve already made...
Good practice example: Oak Foundation
Oak Foundation provided a mix of leadership development, strategic planning, financial management and resource mobilisation support for their partners in Ethiopia as part of their exit plans.
More information about what Oak Foundation did as part of their exit plans is available in Ayele Ashagre's blog "Investing in exit: funders with foresight" from November 2021.
3.1.2: How to approach the initial exit / transition conversation with partners?
Any initial conversation about exit / transition is likely to be emotionally charged, especially if this is the first time that you’ll be discussing it with partners.
So be sure to:
Approach respectfully and recognise its emotional dimensions
Conversations about exit / transition are emotive, and can be painful – especially in long-standing partnerships. Make sure you give partners and also your own colleagues the time and respect these conversations deserve, and acknowledge the feelings that come with them, including sadness, grief, anger, anxiety but also excitement and hope. These are all normal and to be expected. Try to have the conversation in person if possible.
Ensure there’s clarity around ‘why’
While staff and partners may not ‘agree’ with the decision to exit / transition, if the rationale is clear and communicated transparently, then it will help people to accept them.
Refer back to your exit / transition principles if you have them
This can help to provide some reassurance about ‘how’ the exit will take place.
Acknowledge power dynamics and aim to increase partner’s sense of control, provide support and reduce uncertainty
Highlight how partners can meaningfully be involved in helping to design the exit / transition process – for example, feeding in to decisions about ‘how’ the exit will take place, any additional support their organisations may require during the transition period, and what support they can expect from you.
Ensure there’s clarity about the process and what the next steps will be
Agree what happens next, and also be honest about any issues where you may not have the answer yet, and when you expect the situation will be clearer.
Keep talking
Hopefully you’re in regular dialogue with partners about the future of the partnership from the start. However, partners may still not believe you when you talk more concretely about exit / transition – particularly if there’s been mixed messages about this topic in the past. It’s important to continue communicating key messages about exit / transition regularly and consistently once a decision has been made.
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