Housing the partnership can be as simple as determining which entity is best positioned to receive and administer funds, or it can be more complicated. David Stevens, Director of Research Engagement at the Consortium on Chicago School Research, argues that “different types of institutional arrangements bring with them different benefits and challenges.” The question of where to house a partnership is dependent upon several variables:
- Pre-existing institutional presence: For some RPPs, the institutional home is already determined. For example, a university agrees to house a consortium or has an established center in which the partnership can be housed.
- Funding opportunities: Funding may be more readily available or administered on one side of the partnership and may influence where the RPP is best established.
- Infrastructure: Some partners report that bureaucratic and capacity barriers present a challenge to executing certain aspects of the work in a timely or efficient manner.
- Indirect/administrative costs: University indirect costs, which tend to be high relative to non-university partners, can be prohibitive in obtaining funding from certain funding sources.
- Staffing and human resource capacity: One partner may be better positioned to house or locate core staff in their institution. Staffing variables are dependent on the size, complexity, and core expertise needed to move the partnership forward.
However the institutional home is determined, it is important to understand how the institutional context will affect the structure of the partnership.
