MENA Development Valley envisions itself as an integral part of the broader civic sector, committed to learning, promoting, and evolving in line with our organizational goals. Our engagement with others extends beyond financial transactions; it is at the core of our mission. Through strategic partnerships, MENA Development Valley has evolved, experimented, and grown. This policy builds on our valuable experiences and guides our future decisions.

Types of Partnerships

MENA Development Valley engages in partnerships with various entities, including:

1. Clients: Organizations that contract our services, such as aid and development agencies.

2. Suppliers: Entities we engage for specific services, such as designers, programmers, and consultants.

3. Peers: Small civic organizations with whom we collaborate, often on a pro bono basis.

4. Donors: Entities supporting our mission and development through core funding.

Principles

Our partnerships are a manifestation of our core values: tenacity, rigor, candor, adaptability, community, and efficiency. Fairness is a fundamental principle guiding our interactions. Partnerships must be fair to all involved, including MENA Development Valley, our partners, and the communities surrounding us. Fairness also extends to compensation, adhering to the principle of "duty of care" for all individuals involved in our projects.

Partnership Vision

Clients and Donors: To fulfill our mission, MENA Development Valley secures revenues through partnerships with clients and donors. We strive for a healthy balance between core funding and service-based contracts, maintaining financial adaptability and supporting organizational development. We review prospective partners to ensure alignment with our values and procedures.

Peer Organizations: MENA Development Valley functions as an experimental organization in service of our peers. We support peer organizations through tangible projects, avoiding competition and fostering collaboration. Our approach includes a thorough assessment of requests based on defined goals, timing, outputs, realistic budgeting, and clear ownership.

Suppliers: Suppliers, like other partners, are subject to relevant policies, including procurement and compliance. We ensure fairness in supplier selection through transparent calls for proposals, avoiding advertising bids when we already have a preferred partner in mind.

Termination and Closure: All partnerships, regardless of satisfaction, are ended professionally. Exit interviews are conducted whenever possible, promoting a learning culture. Unsatisfactory relationships undergo internal postmortem reviews to extract valuable lessons.

Annex: Practical Guide for Staff

In upholding our core values, staff at MENA Development Valley should:

• Listen attentively to partners and understand their perspectives.

• Strive to provide genuine value in day-to-day work.

• Be grateful for partner engagement and actively reward it.

• Be loyal to partners before expecting loyalty in return.

• Find ways to give more than contractually committed.

• Explain the why behind our work and maintain a professional yet personal touch.

Dos and Don'ts for Client Relationships:

Dos:

• Continuously invest in understanding clients' needs.

• Work on a reasonable exit route, keeping client collaboration a matter of choice.

• Involve clients actively, creating an intimate connection.

• Document client relationships to keep track of commitments and lessons learned.

Don'ts:

• Assume understanding of clients' needs; continuously learn about them.

• Rely solely on loyalty; work on a reasonable exit route.

• Ignore interpersonal conflicts; analyze, deescalate, and resolve them.

• Chase clients; respect their time and communicate succinctly.

MENA Development Valley aims to build dynamic and fulfilling partnerships, embodying our commitment to fairness, transparency, and continuous improvement.