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A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement/Contract

Early education partners can use this checklist to assist them in developing a comprehensive agreement that clearly addresses each partner's roles and responsibilities and many of the elements needed for the partnership to run smoothly. While agreements can and should be reviewed and revised over time, a strong agreement forged early in the partnership lays the foundation for a strong and sustainable collaboration.

A partnership agreement between early education providers contains critical information and clarifying details. Agreements include some standard legal sections, but the language used often sets the tone for a "partnership spirit." On the following pages, QUILT provides a list of specifics that partners might include in a written agreement, although not every item need be addressed. Agreements vary, reflecting the uniqueness of the partnership. Early education providers can use this document as they develop or review their partnership agreements. The checklist consists of the following five sections:

I. General Information

II. Partnership Services

III. Fiscal/ Resources

IV. Systems

A. Planning and Decision-Making

B. Communications

C. Oversight

D. Recordkeeping and Documentation

V. General Administrative Elements

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A Checklist for Developing a Partnership Agreement/ Contract

I. General Information (often introductory)		Not Yet Addressed	Under Discussion	Finalized	Action Steps
	General statement of the agreement's purpose
	Partners' affiliation and legal status
	Contractual period
	Contract amendments, renewal, and termination procedures
	Role of each partner's decision-making bodies in the contractual development and approval process
	Compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and policies
	Conflict of interest statements and prohibited activities
	Signatures of key parties and date of signing (usually at the end of the document)
II. Partnership Services		Not Yet Addressed	Under Discussion	Finalized	Action Steps
	Number of children served: hours, days, weeks of operation
	Location of services
	Each partner's role in service delivery: child education, child/family health, mental health, disabilities, nutrition, family services/parent involvement, home visits/conferences, meetings, recordkeeping, transportation, supervision, oversight
	Staff assigned to support the partnership; which entity/partner employs and supervises which staff
	Responsibilities of each partner’s staff
	Staff schedules
	Supervision procedures
	Staff qualification requirements
	Professional development responsibilities (in-service, training, college courses)
	Staff selection procedures
	Annual performance appraisal procedures
	Provisions for substitutes
III. Fiscal/Resources		Not Yet Addressed	Under Discussion	Finalized	Action Steps
	Funding and resource commitment of each partner
	Funding/resources accessed and by which partner
	Payment per child/per year by partners and payment procedures
	Contingencies (child enrollment, etc.) required by partner for payment
	Funds targeted and/or designated for specific improvements (renovations, salary enhancements, quality issues)
	Designated responsibilities for: facilities/space, maintenance, repairs, food service, and supplies and equipment (who will retain ownership of equipment when/if the agreement ends)
	Non-federal share/inkind services
	Provisions for collection and non-payment of parent fees
	Provisions for the loss of child care subsidies and parent fees
IV. Systems		Not Yet Addressed	Under Discussion	Finalized	Action Steps
A. Planning and Decision-Making
	Role of each entity's decision-making bodies in planning and decision making
	Policy Council representation and elections
	Community assessment process
	Collaborative, inclusive strategies involving partners' staffs and parents and the community
	Items needing prior approval (items a partner reserves the right to approve)
B. Communications
	Type, frequency of meetings; meeting participants
	Type and frequency of reports
	Information exchange (training calendars, personnel policies, position openings, etc.)
	Work with other agencies and responsibility of each partner
	Use of technology, i.e., shared databases for tracking, e-mail communication, etc.
	Protocols for information sharing
	Parent communications
	Dispute resolution procedures
C. Oversight
	Notification procedures/follow-up on local, state, and federal monitoring/assessment
	Ongoing observation of partnership operations, review of records, written feedback, follow-up
	Annual program self assessments and other reviews
	Improvement initiatives (partners' obligations to each other when the partnership is not progressing as envisioned)
D. Recordkeeping and Documentation
	Recruitment, enrollment applications, and intake
	Parent permission procedures
	Child screening, assessment, outcomes
	Curriculum planning and individualized child plans
	Parent contacts, home visits, parent-teacher conferences
	Disabilities, medical, dental services
	Storage of records and access
	Parent partnership plans
	Procedures for recording/tracking of services and follow-up
	Transfer of information, confidentiality
V. General Administrative Elements		Not Yet Addressed	Under Discussion	Finalized	Action Steps
	Designated contact person for each organization involved
	Travel policies
	Liability/insurance
	Use of partners' names (how partners will publicize the services sponsored by the partnership)

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