Tool 10: Establishing Written Agreements for a WSI

This tool details how coming to a shared formal understanding among WSI participants about appropriate behavior, as well as agreed to roles, objectives, and goals, allows a WSI to be implemented in a way that WSI participants are accountable for their performance and conduct.

Purpose Among other benefits, coming to a shared formal understanding among WSI participants about appropriate behavior, as well as agreed to roles, objectives, and goals, allows a WSI to be implemented in a way that WSI participants are accountable for their performance and conduct:

  • Sets purpose, objectives, and goals of a WSI.
  • Sets agreed to ground rules for a WSI.
  • Sets agreed to expectations around behavior and conduct.
  • Increases transparency and accountability of a WSI’s governance.
Possible Users WSI participants.
WSI Phase 2. Formalization.

Internal written agreements allow WSIs to address integrity risks related to poor participant conduct, inequitable decision making and communications, and potential financial management issues. These agreements most often take the form of a Memorandum of Understandings and/or Code of Conduct, which codify not only the objectives of the WSI but also the agreed to internal governance aspects and expectations for participant behavior. In most cases, these written agreements will provide enough structure for a WSI, particularly for cases where a partnership agreement is enough. However, when a WSI begins to develop into a permanent organization, it may consider a number of different options. These options should take into account the local legal context where the WSI is operating as well as existing institutions with whom the WSI might engage.

Additional information

Phase