From first call to agreed scope: designing a cross-border programme partnership

Move from a promising conversation to a bounded, testable collaboration. The playbook uses a first-call agenda, a scope canvas, explicit roles, decision rights, safeguarding questions and a short pilot review so that cross-border partners can learn before they formalise too much.

### Use this when Use this after an exploratory call where both sides see a possible fit but the phrase “let’s collaborate” still hides the work. It is suitable for founder referrals, reciprocal programme access, mentor exchanges, soft-landing support, research collaboration or a joint event. It is not legal advice and does not replace a written agreement where one is needed. Cross-border work often involves multiple administrative settings and different expectations. The OECD’s work on cross-border innovation highlights governance mechanisms, networks and the need to connect and collaborate across administrative boundaries. [1] Treat the operating model—not only the shared ambition—as the partnership design problem. ### The outcome You finish with a one-page scope note covering the user or founder need, activities, responsibilities, exclusions, resources, decision rights, data handling, timeline, review signals and next decision. Both teams know what happens next week, what does not happen, and who can stop or change the pilot. ### Before you start **Inputs:** notes from the first call, each organisation’s programme calendar, participant profile, public descriptions, named decision-makers, and a draft scope canvas. Bring questions about geography, language, eligibility, safeguarding, intellectual property, data, costs and communications. **People:** one operational lead per organisation, one decision-maker who can approve the scope, and subject-matter or legal colleagues only where needed. Include the person who will actually deliver the work. **Time:** a 30-minute first-call review, one 60-minute design session, two drafting rounds, and a scheduled pilot review. Keep the first commitment small enough to learn from. ### Step by step 1. **Write the shared problem.** Start with the person or programme need, not the partner’s logo. Complete: “Participants currently struggle to...” and “This collaboration may help by...” If the statements differ, resolve that before discussing activities. 2. **Compare operating realities.** Ask what each team can reliably provide, in which countries, during which dates, in which languages and under which constraints. Record assumptions separately from commitments. A partner may be able to host introductions but not guarantee customer meetings; write the distinction. 3. **Define the smallest useful pilot.** Choose one cohort, session, referral pathway or market question. Set a start date and an end date. Exclude adjacent ideas in a “not now” list so enthusiasm does not become an uncosted programme. 4. **Design the participant journey.** Map invitation, eligibility, preparation, interaction, follow-up and closure. Identify where consent is needed, who owns participant communication and how a participant can opt out. Cross-border does not remove local duties around privacy, safeguarding or professional conduct. 5. **Allocate responsibilities using verbs.** Write “Partner A invites and briefs”, “Partner B hosts and records decisions”, rather than “both support”. Name a single owner for each deliverable. Add a deputy for critical tasks. 6. **Agree decision rights and escalation.** Decide who can change dates, participant criteria, messaging, speakers and budget. Specify what requires both organisations’ approval. Add a simple escalation route for missed commitments or participant concerns. 7. **Make value exchange explicit.** List what each side contributes and receives: access, expertise, content, staff time, referrals, research input or learning. Avoid vague claims of exposure. If money, travel, data or intellectual property is involved, flag it for the appropriate agreement. 8. **Draft the one-page scope.** Circulate a version marked “for correction”. Ask each lead to reply with: agreed, unclear, not feasible, or missing. Resolve contradictions in a live session rather than relying on silent edits. 9. **Run the pilot with a decision log.** Keep a shared record of attendance, questions, changes, issues and participant feedback. Do not confuse activity with value; record what participants did next or what the teams learned. 10. **Review and choose.** At the end, decide whether to stop, repeat, adapt or formalise. Document the evidence and the reason. A pilot that ends cleanly is a successful operating result even when it does not continue. ### Templates **Cross-border partnership scope canvas** ```text Shared participant need: Pilot objective: Participants / eligibility: Dates, locations and languages: Activity and participant journey: Partner A delivers: Partner B delivers: Shared deliverables: Not included in this pilot: Decision rights: Data, consent and safeguarding notes: Resources / costs / approvals: Risks and mitigations: Signals to review: Review date: Decision owner: ``` **First-call agenda:** 5 min context; 10 min participant need; 15 min capability and constraints; 10 min possible pilot; 5 min risks and unanswered questions; 5 min next step and owner. ### Common mistakes Do not jump from chemistry to a broad memorandum. Do not make one team responsible for “coordination” without naming tasks. Do not hide cross-border constraints until delivery. Do not assume a partner can provide access to customers, investors or public bodies. Do not measure only attendance. Do not let a pilot continue indefinitely without a review decision. ### How to tell it worked A new team member can understand the scope without attending the first call. Participants receive consistent information. Deliverables have one owner. Unanswered questions are visible. The pilot produces a documented decision, not just goodwill. Partners can name what they will repeat and what they will change. ### Using LINKK for this Use LINKK’s Partner directory to compare each organisation’s stated focus and geography before the design call. A Need or Offer can make the pilot legible to other potential contributors. After scope is agreed, use a private conversation created through an accepted introduction request for working details, while keeping public claims limited to what is confirmed. ### Sources [1]: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/achieving-cross-border-government-innovation-governing-cross-border-challenges_ddd07e3b-en.html "OECD Achieving Cross-Border Government Innovation" [2]: https://www.techstars.com/for/partners/network "Techstars Network Partnership" ---