Preamble
In response to a 1997 legislative mandate, the Regional Partnership Program was purposefully designed in 1998 as a citizen-driven, University of Minnesota partnership to enrich the University's Land Grant mission related to agricultural, natural resources and tourism sustainable development opportunities. On April 23, 1998 the University issued a charter document in the form of a Partnership Task Force Report, "Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships - Guidelines and Operating Principles." The Task Force was comprised of six community leaders and six University leaders. This historic report (commonly called the Green Book) has been employed as the key document to structure the existing five Regional Partnerships and to guide the work of the Statewide Coordinating Committee (SCC)
In 2004, citizen leaders from the five regional Boards of Directors are reaffirming the Green Book's core principles and objectives in the form of an Operations Plan 2004-2010. The aim among the key stakeholders, primarily the five boards and the SCC, is to outline a framework of goals to guide the overall work program for the next six years. The Regional Partnership Program is mission-driven and the successes to date provide the best lessons for staying the course in the years ahead. The following plan is not based on arbitrary considerations or unrealistic expectations. Rather, it is rooted in tested bedrock principles articulated in 1998 and lived in practice by the thousands of participants involved in the Regional Partnerships' community collaborations.
The outcome of this Plan is to be operationally clear on the role and contribution of the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships in the future of the University of Minnesota. Four actionable outcomes will result in the first year:
? A document: Creating Value Locally, Regionally and for the University of Minnesota
? Two committees, agilely seeking alignment opportunities
? An engagement strategy
? A rational, consistent administrative model
The purpose of the goal framework, on which this plan is designed, is to reassert the covenants on which the Regional Partnerships are founded, to rebuild the depleted resource base of the program, to complete the statewide array of eight rural Partnerships, to create value in alignment with the vision of President Bruininks and Board of Regents, and to improve the structural and administrative linkages to the University. The stated 2004-2010 goals fully capture the substantive context of the historic Green Book and the quality of work accomplished by the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships during the past six years.
As stated in the Green Book, the public service principle of the Regional Partnership Program is to address locally identified agricultural, natural resource and tourism issues in a manner consistent with sustainable development principles. The Program is driven by citizens engaged in an "active citizenship" participation process. The Program's first goal "is to establish partnerships between the University of Minnesota and Minnesotans in a community and citizen-driven process for identifying and addressing local, regional, and statewide agricultural, environmental, societal and economic issues." As an "empowerment focused" program, "the intent is to support the capacity of regional boards to successfully pursue the mission of this initiative."
The distinguishing quality of the Regional Partnership Program is the regionally-selected and established boards of directors comprised mostly of citizen leaders. University representatives also serve as directors on the boards. The boards manage their regional programs and direct their staff. They make decisions about the allocation of funding, hiring of staff and other major management matters. This unique citizen-driven, decision-making process works successfully while respecting that, in the end, board decisions are subject to review and full accountability standards. The Partnerships fully recognize that the University's ultimate governing authorities rest with the Board of Regents and those powers delegated to University of Minnesota administrators.
GOALS:
FOCUS ON CREATING AND COMMUNICATING VALUE - Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDPs) will continue regionally directed programs that create value for all stakeholders and will effectively communicate the impacts and sources of that value.
ALIGN FOR EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY - RSDPs will implement alignment strategies that enrich and strengthen our work in rural development, public scholarship and Community-University partnerships.
REACH FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF RSDP PROGRAM - The RSDPs will secure University support to cover greater Minnesota with Regional Partnerships, and attract adequate and consistent funding to support their role within the University.
DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE STRUCTURAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LINKAGE TO THE UNIVERSITY. The RSDPs will maintain a staff and administrative structure that effectively serves the regional boards while bridging rural and University cultures.
