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There is a growing recognition of the importance of establishing stronger relations between the public and private sectors at the international level . . . Where possible, policies should be developed and implemented in broad-based partnerships among the various government departments, those in public health, the beverage alcohol industry, representatives of consumers, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. [1]
Introduction and Definitions
Strategic alliances between business, government and civil society are a growing feature of social development as well as policy development in both developed and emerging countries. Such multi-sector partnerships are necessary because it is increasingly clear that no one sector in society can address the complexities surrounding these issues on their own. Alcohol policy development is no exception.
There are many definitions of “partnership” in use today and increasingly the term is used to describe almost any kind of collaboration. For our purposes, however, experience suggests that such collaborations can be called partnerships when the parties involved recognize themselves as “partners”, voluntarily share risks, pool resources and talents in order to optimize the delivery of outcomes which are viewed as mutually beneficial. Partnerships exist, in other words, when the parties recognize in their relationship a commitment to contribute complementary core competencies in order to achieve a more complete solution to a given issue or problem.
The hypothesis underpinning a partnership approach is that an inclusive collaboration of stakeholders can contribute in a more positive way to initiatives and policy. Single sector approaches have been tried and found wanting. Working separately, different sectors develop activities in isolation, sometime in competition with each other and/or duplicating effort and wasting resources.
Partnerships, on the other hand, provide new opportunity for doing policy development or risk-mitigation projects better. As partners, sectors recognize the qualities, contributions, and competencies of one another and find new ways of harnessing these for the public good.
Numerous statements from the United Nations and its specialized agencies, including the World Health Organization, have recognized the relevance of this approach to social development and public health. For alcohol policy development and alcohol harm reduction programs, partnership is also a useful tool for addressing complex issues.
Who are the Partners in Alcohol Policy Development?
A critical feature of effective partnership in the beverage alcohol field is the inclusion of all relevant sectors of society as equals. The key stakeholders include:
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governments and inter-governmental organizations;
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non-governmental organizations;
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the scientific and public health communities; and
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the private sector.
The potential partners for alcohol policy development and alcohol harm reduction activities are little different from those involved in partnerships in other fields. The following is an outline of the generic roles that these key stakeholders might assume in a partnership process when addressing alcohol policies.
Governments
Governments have a clear role to play in the development of alcohol policies. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure the safety of their citizens. They have the responsibility for formulating, implementing and enforcing legislation and regulations about alcohol. To be both effective and acceptable, the policies must reflect the views of the other sectors and take them into account. In recent years the concept of public-private partnership has gained a strong foothold in the development of government policy and a growing role has emerged for the private sector as an active participant in the formulation and implementation of socially responsible policies. Governments, however, have a responsibility to ensure that a balance is struck between pursuing the safety and welfare of society as a whole and protecting the rights of the individual.
Intergovernmental organizations
The intergovernmental organizations have responsibility for trying to achieve some degree of consensus between the governments of the world (e.g., the United Nations) or a region (e.g., the European Union) that they serve. Primarily, they provide a vehicle for communication; they may have more or less authority in the implementation process, but more often than not they have a powerfully persuasive advisory role, their recommendations requiring national (or local) government action for implementation.
The private sector
Beyond its responsibilities to its shareholders, the beverage alcohol industry has responsibilities to its consumers and the public at large. The beverage alcohol industry, like any commercial enterprise, has social responsibilities to its employees, to its suppliers and to the wider communities in which it operates. In addition it recognizes that alcohol, if consumed responsibly, can enhance pleasure and quality of life, and it must ensure that the risks and harms associated with alcohol misuse are minimized. The beverage alcohol industry is quite active in supporting harm reduction organizations and programs around the world. ICAP’s A Suggested Framework for Responsibility outlines many areas for collaboration and examples of industry activities in emerging markets.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly being seen by companies around the world and in all industries as an essential part of their business mission, strategy, and operations. This is equally true of the beverage alcohol industry.
Nongovernmental organizations
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can also play a significant role in the formulation of alcohol policies and can be particularly important at the community level. The main strength of these organizations, in fact, lies in their local expertise and links with local actors and networks that can be mobilized quickly. NGOs, especially in the developing countries, often have the best access to poorly served constituencies that are hard to reach through official government channels. Some NGOs perceive health and social well-being policies as inherently at odds with the industry's interests to promote its products, and a number of them, implicitly at least, are against any form of alcohol consumption. Others differentiate between moderate alcohol use and its misuse, focusing on preventing such problems as drink driving, alcohol-related violence, and underage drinking, while accepting that alcohol can be part of a normal healthy lifestyle.
The public health and research communities
Research scientists are responsible for providing the best possible evidence for the development of approaches that encourage responsible drinking and for evaluating their success. The research should be conducted in a way that is free from any ideological or political influences. Funding for research comes from a variety of sources, and funding organizations can in one way or another have some influence on the questions asked and on the way the results are presented. For this reason, it is important that sources of funding are declared when results are published. Certain principles have been set out that should govern the implementation of research on alcohol consumption when that research involves cooperation between the industry, governments and the scientific and academic communities (see The Dublin Principles ).
Dealing with Conflicts
Although perceived conflicts of interest may make some potential partners shy away from collaboration with the beverage alcohol industry, those who are committed to the partnership concept recognize that, although the goals of the public and private sectors may not always be identical and perhaps not even fully compatible, this does not have to rule out dialogue and joint action. ICAP’s work shows that partnership in the field of beverage alcohol can be an effective and viable approach. A process which excludes the industry could lead to a polarization of views and a result that serves no one’s interest, least of all those interested in promoting the public good. Experience has shown that even though the involved parties may start out as seemingly opposed, partnerships can develop from an adversarial relationship to one of trust and, eventually, of productive collaboration.
The public expects corporations to live up to quite high standards of social responsibility and at the same time, running profitable businesses. This balance is best achieved through the process of partnership and dialogue. The Dublin Principles and The Geneva Partnership provide frameworks for partnership and dealing with conflicts.
Working Together
ICAP advocates a partnership approach because of its potential for considerable added-value, and, in some cases, it is the only way to handle key issues of alcohol in society. The evidence is strong, although the practical problems of making partnerships work may require much trial and re-trial. Some examples and case studies are included in the ICAP Blue Book . Lessons can be extracted from both successful and not-so-successful partnerships; these lessons then feed back into the partnership practice and the balanced dialogue among stakeholders.
Effective handling of partnerships is as much about managing relationships as it is about the concrete issues involved in alcohol policy. The process of partnering offers a set of activities and tools to better develop the relationships with relevant stakeholders.
Partnership, however, is not a panacea nor is it appropriate in all circumstances. Early in the process of formulating a partnership, the added-value of the partnership model must be weighed against alternative approaches. In all cases, sound alcohol policy should be evidence-based and rely on proven prevention and policy approaches that can be tailored to fit the needs of a particular country, setting or population.
ICAP’s Alcohol Policy Development: Partnership in Practice provides a broad outline of the steps involved in the development of practical and sustainable alcohol policies. The specifics of the partnership approach may well vary depending on the prevailing circumstances and on cultural and historical factors. Two distinct characteristics need to be kept in mind when defining the “how” and “what” of partnerships. Partnerships are both a process – of building trust, joint problem solving and relationship management among key stakeholders and a product – a set of agreements and projects designed to deliver a joint action or policy program.
Values in Partnership
A partnership approach calls for stronger dialogue and collaboration between these sectors of society and is based on the belief that partnerships are relationships built on mutuality of effort and shared contributions. It presupposes that those involved in the partnership have the right to be, and will be, fully engaged in all aspects of the partnership.
ICAP has been instrumental in developing two consensus documents which address the ground rules for effective partnership. These are:
The Dublin Principles refer particularly to cooperation in alcohol research, while the Geneva Partnership describes the rights and responsibilities which can guide consumers, producers, sellers and all others involved in policymaking, including governments, non-governmental organizations and the scientific and public health communities.
Both documents identify key principles which should underlie partnerships, whether formal or informal, at local and national level, namely:
Mutual respect
No sector of society has exclusive ownership of alcohol policy. There are many groups which have a legitimate interest in alcohol policy development and all have something relevant to contribute to the process. They are all potential partners, but they all also have their particular interests to promote, so that it is reasonable to expect that there will be conflicts between some of those interests. If all partners, however, demonstrate mutual respect, there should be ample space for legitimate differences.
Trust
As in the case above, it is not necessary for partners to agree for there to be trust. In the area of alcohol policy, there is a legacy of mistrust that needs to be addressed directly, but that should be a challenge, not an impediment to partnership. Experience at ICAP has shown that, as people from different backgrounds and orientations actually work together, they learn to trust each other more. Not everybody is willing to join a partnership and nobody who is unwilling should be forced to do so. Yet, in absenting themselves, they lose the opportunity to build mutual respect and trust.
Transparency
It is the third principle–transparency–that fosters greater trust. There are of course self-interests, but the partners also have common interests in reducing the problems associated with alcohol abuse. Transparency is crucial in the process of partnership; indeed, full disclosure was one of the key principles identified when developing the Dublin Principles. It is essential, not just for reporting on research findings, but for the whole process of building and sustaining alcohol policy partnerships.
Shared benefits and accountability
It is in everybody’s best interest to work for better and more comprehensive alcohol policies. Shared benefits do not mean identical benefits for everybody, and indeed it may be necessary to give up some intermediate benefits for the sake of a larger goal. Partnership calls for a reappraisal of values, but it is always worth the effort in the end.
Partnering Skills
Successful partnering takes a range of skills – some may come naturally and others may need to be acquired. Individuals from each sector will bring different skills and professional competencies to the partnership and at an early stage tasks can be allocated to those who demonstrate that they are good at a particular kind of activity.
In 2001, ICAP created a series of tools to be used in the development of alcohol policies: Creating Alcohol Policies in the 21st Century: A Best Practice Approach . These tools are intended as a basis for a sequential yet flexible approach for the different stages of policy development through a partnership approach. These “building blocks” are useful tools to highlight the areas partners and potential partners should consider in beginning their collaboration in policy development.
In 2005, ICAP will launch an alcohol policy guide (see ICAP Blue Book ) which offers a comprehensive but succinct guide to the key issues in alcohol policy development and implementation, and an integrated approach to best practice. It is centered on two principles that are fundamental to ICAP’s work, namely, drinking patterns and partnership.
Making Partnerships Work
What does a successful partnership look like? Who defines ‘success’? How is it measured? Alcohol policy development through using a partnership approach is invariably complex and can therefore be very challenging to evaluate. Outputs, outcomes and impacts are usually diverse, sometimes quite subtle and often unexpected. Partners are likely to need to measure or assess some or all of the following:
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impacts of their partnership on how alcohol is viewed in society;
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the mitigation of risk from the consumption of alcohol;
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the relationship each partnering organization has with one another;
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costs and benefits of the partnership approach; and ultimately;
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whether to continue working together.
By examining these points, partners should be able to evaluate whether:
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the partnership has been effective in achieving its aims;
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partners have truly benefited from their involvement;
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partnership approach was the best / most appropriate choice.
Collecting the information on which to make a judgment about the partnership’s effectiveness is in itself a challenging process but should not be avoided (even if the case when the partnership objectives have not been reached). Where partnerships are successful, and when key lessons are learned, spread the word. Sharing best practice in alcohol policy development and harm reduction programs is each partner’s responsibility.
Partnerships involving business are making a real contribution to alcohol policy development around the world. Taking this possibility seriously means maintaining a sense of openness, honesty, leadership and innovation as one faces the issue of alcohol in society.
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