Reducing carbon emissions and expanding energy access for sustainable livelihoods is a global priority. The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is a unique initiative that brings together philanthropy, local entrepreneurs, governments, technology, policy, and financing partners to support developing countries' transition to clean energy.
GEAPP aims to provide reliable, clean energy to one billion people, avoid and avert four billion tons of carbon emissions, and create, enable, or improve 150 million jobs. To achieve these objectives, GEAPP collaborates with several organisations, funders, and implementation agencies worldwide.
Partnering for climate action
Effective collaboration and strategic partnerships are crucial for successful outcomes. Like any ambitious initiative of this scale, GEAPP faced some challenges. Alliance members have asked how they can have more ownership and a voice in decision-making and whether the whole GEAPP team can agree to partner with alliance members in a manner consistent with the strategy. To address these concerns, GEAPP enlisted Reos Partners to build collaboration capacity across the alliance ecosystem. The plan is to transfer knowledge and practices to the GEAPP team to better manage multi-stakeholder collaborations.
Collaborating for impact
Reos’ work aimed at furthering the objectives of GEAPP by:
- Enhancing the capacity of GEAPP and its alliance members to work in collaboration and with co-creative approaches that advance GEAPP's agenda.
- Equipping the alliance members to effectively engage and enroll their respective organizations.
- Creating strategic alignment and developing a shared narrative across the 19+ members of the alliance.
Drawing from the practices of radical collaboration, Reos engaged with GEAPP in the following areas:
Collaboration and strategic partnership
Effective partnership at multiple levels is one of the most strategic ways for an initiative of this scale to innovate and address complex challenges. Reos Partners worked closely with GEAPP to develop and deliver on the alliance's collaboration needs. This was achieved through a series of alliance meetings, capacity-building events, and as-needed support. The primary focus was to accelerate and maximize the impact of the alliance by fostering more effective partnerships, both internally and externally.
Refining the partnership strategy
Reos Partners helped GEAPP refine its partnership strategy, make it explicit across the organization, and apply it consistently. This became a distinctive characteristic of GEAPP's work and focus of activities. By agreeing on the partnership strategy and operating model, GEAPP can slow down and make the mental models across the alliance partners and other key stakeholders more explicit to build a robust and shared collaborative approach to advancing the work. A few frameworks, tools, and approaches are consistently applied to establish and sustain an effective collaborative culture across the alliance.
Running the partnerships according to an agreed operating model
Reos Partners worked with GEAPP to establish a regular cadence of work with a consistent set of leaders. This increases the alignment and coherence of GEAPP's portfolio of work and supports identifying opportunities, problem-solving, sharing market intelligence, and learning.
Active communication internally and across the alliance partners
A robust communications approach is necessary to drive internal alignment between GEAPP and the alliance partners. Reos Partners helped GEAPP develop and implement an active communication strategy to ensure that everyone is kept in the loop.
Active strategy, design, and collaboration support of key partnership activities
Reos Partners supported a few high-stakes partnership activities to build collaboration "bright spots" and advance key issues. The direct experience of these workshops strengthened the alliance's collaborative culture and reinforced the value of the GEAPP approach.
The Field Guide to Partnering: A collaborative framework born from GEAPP's partnership journey
Following almost two years of discovery, exploration, and learning, GEAPP, in collaboration with Reos Partners, developed a comprehensive framework for effective partnerships called A Field Guide to Partnering: A resource to nurturing healthy, effective, and impactful partnerships - and igniting alliancing. This guide highlights the essential behaviors, practices, and systems—including processes, tools, and organisational infrastructure—that will enable the initiative to become a genuine alliance centered on collaboration.
The Field Guide serves as a valuable resource for GEAPP alliance members. It provides practical insights and strategies to foster deeper collaboration, enhance communication, and streamline processes among partners. By implementing the guidelines from this Field Guide, GEAPP aims to strengthen its network of partners and create a more cohesive and effective alliance dedicated to achieving shared goals.
Effective collaboration and strategic partnerships: Key to addressing global challenges
Collaboration and strategic partnerships play a crucial role in resolving global challenges, such as reducing carbon emissions and enhancing energy access. GEAPP is progressing in achieving its objectives by building the ability to collaborate efficiently and strengthening partnerships. By enhancing the execution of its strategies through collaboration, GEAPP is aligning its efforts and taking significant steps toward fulfilling its mission.
Together, we can make a significant impact in addressing global challenges. Contact us to learn how Reos can support your progress on your most pressing issues.
