Welcome to Partnership First
An independent consultancy that brings decades of experience; a rigorous
and friendly approach; and a deep understanding of what makes organisations thrive and grow.
An inclusive, impact-led consultancy working as trusted partners to cultural, educational and voluntary sector organisations, and the funders who support them. We specialise in strategic learning, participatory evaluation, and partnership development that centres lived experience, builds trust and drives meaningful change.
Whether you're designing a new programme, refining your impact framwork, or strengthening governance, we help translate values into action and evidence into insight. We offer clear thinking, practical tools, and honest advice that is tailored to your organisation's needs. We take a bespoke approach, listening carefully, working collaboratively and being a critical friend.
Partnership First offers a rare combination of strategic clarity, evaluative depth, and relational intelligence - making us ideally placed to lead reviews that are not only rigourous, but also inclusive, developmental and transformative.
OUR CORE VALUES
Partnership First's Core Values of integrity, transparency, and independence
are fundamental to our work. These values guide our approach to supporting our clients in several ways:
- Integrity: We ensure that our work is purposeful, reflects our clients' values and provides meaningful and actionable advice and support.
- Transparency: We take an evidence-based approach to ensure that any recommendations are based on relevant and robust data and evidence.
- Independence: Our advice is unbiased and objective thus ensuring that we build credibility and trust with you as our client with recommendations that are based on your needs and outcomes.
OUR SERVICES
Partnership First offers clear thinking, practical tools and advice that is tailored to your organisation's needs. This focused approach ensures that our support is
practical, inclusive
and
built around your values.
- Strategic Planning: Visioning, goal-setting, and action planning
- Impact Measurement:
Theory of Change, Social Value, Evaluation Frameworks
and Reports - Partnership Development: Creating and managing strategic partnerships
PARTNERSHIP FIRST QUICK GUIDES
At Partnership First, we believe that real change happens when organisations work together—with clarity, compassion, and intent. Whether in the arts, education, or the wider voluntary sector, partnership is more than shared delivery—it’s a strategic commitment to doing better, together.
This series of guides is designed to help organisations unlock the full potential of collaboration. Drawing on years of experience in cross-sector partnership development and impact-led practice, each guide offers practical insight, clear frameworks, and reflective prompts tailored to mission-driven work.
You’ll find tools to support:
- Measuring and Communicating Social Value
Discover ways to evidence the intangible yet vital outcomes of your work—from increased wellbeing to strengthened civic identity.
- Using Theory of Change to Map Impact
Build a clear, co-owned narrative linking your activities to long-term outcomes—and surface the assumptions that shape delivery.
- Creating and Embedding Evaluation Frameworks
Learn how to co-design inclusive, actionable frameworks that reflect what success truly looks like—for funders, participants, and communities.
- Developing Effective Partnerships
Explore how structure, governance, and shared values underpin resilient collaborations—moving from good intention to strategic impact.
Together, these guides offer a roadmap to purposeful collaboration. They’re written for leaders, practitioners, and changemakers seeking to amplify their impact, deepen learning, and centre lived experience in how they plan, measure, and grow.
Click on the Quick Guides below to find out more.
Partnership First take a flexible and professional approach
To find out more, follow the link below
