Table 2.

Partnership development challenges and recommendations

Challenge	Recommendation
Conflicting agendas among stakeholders; competing priorities (eg, financial interests, staff availability; timing).	Negotiate an initial written document detailing roles, time commitments, expectations, and goals, including ownership of data.
Community partners’ needs and preferences differ from researcher’s agenda; power dynamics shift over the different stages of the research.	Be flexible in expectations and rules for partnership development; recognize that conflicts may be unavoidable and effective partnership development takes time.
Ensuring long-term continuity as different stakeholders may have evolving work charges.	Make a shifting membership explicit; recognize that such shifts are not an indicator of failure.
Structural issues: institutional and funder policies conflict with partnership development; bureaucratic guidelines complicate exchange of financial resources, staff turnover, service system changes, and maintaining involvement of parties; physical distance and limited transportation deter participation.	Maintain researcher presence in community discussions both before and after the funded phase to build long-term trust despite structural constraints; work together to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the partnership and for the service initiatives launched through the partnership.
Resource and labor intensity of partnered research curtail participation in and documentation of the research.	Varied solutions based upon individual nature of partners and cultures; recognize time and resources to document the partnership process; build relationships before data collection; explore innovative means of capturing process and outcomes.