The joining together of more than one party to plan or provide public services can be very worthwhile for all involved, since work and functions are shared, together with the rewards.

There are many good reasons for organisations to join forces on projects, and whether it is called, ‘agreeing', ‘associating', ‘co-operating' or ‘collaborating', this is something familiar to the whole sector. In many instances, this is a requirement. Take Local Area Agreements, for example. It is important to highlight, however, that when a number of agencies work together, it can be tricky to ensure that the partnership will not only achieve its stated objectives, but will also contribute to the achievement of your organisation's objectives. In this sense, partnerships have the risk potential to create division as much as they can create unity. Any changes in the way things are done can present possible disruption to the smooth running of business, and as such joint working is a matter for business continuity as well as a solution for problems.