The U.S. Government Celebrates Partnerships that Advance Diplomacy and Development

In my office’s public-private partnerships trainings, we often open with an ice-breaker in which we challenge groups of participants to complete a puzzle as a team, without the box top as a guide. As the groups attempt to finish the puzzle, they eventually realize that they are missing one crucial puzzle piece—and have an extra piece that doesn’t fit. Entrepreneurial team members are able to figure out that one puzzle piece has been switched with another group’s puzzle, and it’s only by trading those pieces that each puzzle can be completed.

It’s a short exercise, but the puzzle challenge illustrates well the importance of partnering—that other entities often have complementary resources that will better allow you to accomplish your mission. This is the rationale behind the U.S. Government’s increasing use of public-private partnerships. In light of the ever-increasing complex, global challenges we face—from countering violent extremism to championing global health and increasing economic empowerment—the question is no longer, “Why partner?” but, “How can we partner most effectively?”

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