Innovative organizations seek creative external partnerships to motivate the community to move forward and to avoid traditional boundaries.  This includes partnering with other public agencies, the private sector and/or non-profit organizations.   Such partnerships are not quid pro-quo, rather they are based on common missions. The public value is achieved by accomplishing mutual goals; not by measuring what is put into the partnership.  It is critical to not only know how to agree but also how to disagree constructively. Successful partnerships require trust and a willingness to share risks.  One of the benefits of creating external partnerships are the opportunities to gain new perspectives on the solutions that will permeate throughout the organization.