The Institutional Development Framework (IDF) is an organizational assessment tool that can be used by organization members to assess the state of their organization, reflecting on how resources are currently invested. This tool provides a comprehensive picture of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, providing a basis for short, medium, and long-term strategic planning. The IDF can also provide an organization with insights as to how it can most effectively partner with others, both in terms of what they have to offer and what they need to compensate for. MSI developed the IDF in the mid 1990s and has been tailoring it for a variety of similar uses in a number of countries worldwide.

At the March 11th Partners Workshop, a number of handouts were distributed to participants to guide them through decisions about partnering. These include guidelines for creating memoranda of understanding, eight steps for a successful alliance, and nineteen factors influencing successful collaborations.