Session 3. Partners, Funding and Procurement Basics

Five kinds of partner, five kinds of deal

• A UNIVERSITY can give research methods, student teachers and help with evaluation; it usually wants access to pupils' data and to publish. An NGO can give training, materials and community links; its money often lasts only as long as the project. A COMPANY can give tools, funding and skills; it wants customers, data or visibility. PARENTS give time, local knowledge and legitimacy; they want to know their child is safe and gains. The DISTRICT or ministry bodies give permission and alignment.
• Use one test for every offer, four questions: What does each side GIVE? What does each side GET? Who OWNS the data, materials and results? How does it END? An offer that cannot answer the fourth question is a dependency, not a partnership.
• The first filter comes before the four questions: does the partner help solve a problem that is already in OUR portfolio (session 2)? An attractive offer for a problem you do not have is a distraction, however generous.

A short written agreement in plain words

• A short memorandum of cooperation on one or two pages is enough for most school partnerships: purpose; roles and named contact people; time period; what is done with pupils' information; who owns materials and results; how credit and publication work; any money; a review date; and how either side can leave.
• Check who is allowed to sign. In many systems the school head cannot commit the school alone; the founder, district education department or ministry rules may apply. Ask your district office which rules cover agreements, money and pupils' data, and follow them. This course does not replace those rules.
• Pupils' names, marks, photos and voices are not currency. A partner who asks for them for a study or a website must have the right agreement, a stated purpose and parents informed. When in doubt, share counts and de-identified examples only.

Funding and the true cost of an idea

• Typical sources are the school budget, district or state allocations, voluntary and transparent contributions from parents, grants from foundations or NGOs, and gifts in kind such as rooms, loaned equipment and volunteer time. Contributions from parents must never be made a condition for any pupil's participation. Course 15.3 (Grant Writing & Resourcing School Innovation) goes deeper on applications.
• Count the cost over three years, not the price on the first day: one-off costs (purchase, set-up), yearly costs (licences, repairs, printing, replacement), and teacher time (training and upkeep, in hours). A cheap start with a high yearly cost is the most common trap.
• Divide the total by the number of pupils who will benefit to get a cost per pupil, then set it next to the benefit you expect. Cost alone does not decide: the cheapest option may need an internet connection that many families lack, and the dearest may last longest.

Procurement basics: choose by need, not by pressure

• Start with the need written without a brand name: the problem, what pupils must be able to do, the language (Uzbek and Russian), the offline mode and the budget. Then follow the procurement rules that apply to your school; ask your district office, and do not split a purchase to avoid them. Compare several options on the same written criteria, keep the offers and write down why you chose one.
• Declare conflicts of interest: nobody scores an offer from a relative, a friend's company or a supplier who has given them a gift. Openness is the best protection; the Open Contracting Partnership's guide explains why publishing what is bought, from whom and at what price builds trust.
• Red flags: pressure to sign today; a free tool that asks for pupils' names, birth dates or phone numbers; a free trial that turns into a contract by itself; claims such as 'proven worldwide' with no source; no Uzbek or Russian support; no way to export or delete your data; a price given only for year one. Ask for a trial period in your own classes and a written exit clause.

Start small and keep one contact on each side

Strong partnerships rarely begin with a big signing. They begin with a small shared task, such as four student teachers for one semester with a clear job, or one workshop series for six teachers. Name one contact person on each side, agree a review after three months and write down what each side will do. If the small step goes well, widen it; if not, both sides can leave without harm.

Know the different clocks. A university works in semesters and may want publication; an NGO works in grant cycles of months or a year; a company works in contracts and sales; parents work around family and harvest or exam seasons. A good agreement fits these rhythms instead of ignoring them, and it asks early: what will remain in our school when your project ends?

Who pays in year two

Many innovations are launched with one-off money and then die when the money ends. Before accepting funding, write the yearly cost of keeping the change, in money and in teacher hours, and decide who will pay. If the answer is 'we do not know', start smaller or find a version that costs less to keep, such as printed materials that teachers can copy.

Count contributions in kind. A university's student teachers, a parent's two hours a week, a loaned room or a donated printer all have value, and writing them down shows partners that the school also contributes. Keep a small reserve for repairs and replacement, and publish a simple account of what was spent so that parents and the district can see it.

Try it tomorrow

• Take one current outside offer and answer in writing: what does each side give, get, own, and how does it end?
• Calculate the three-year cost of one planned purchase in money and teacher hours, and divide by the number of pupils.
• Ask your district office which rules apply to agreements, money and pupils' data in your school and write down the answer.