Unpacking the Bureaucracy of Health Partnerships: What Happens After the Press Release?

Every few months, we see big announcements about new partnerships in public health. Government departments, NGOs, hospitals and private companies come together, promising better coordination and improved services. The press release looks great with the photos, handshakes and hopeful language about “working together.”

But what happens after that? Once the cameras are gone, the hard work begins and that’s where many partnerships start to struggle. Behind the buzzwords and branding, these collaborations often get stuck in bureaucracy, unclear roles, and power struggles. The problem starts with structure. Most organisations involved have never truly worked together before. Each has its own systems, funding rules and reporting formats. Instead of quick action, the first few months are usually spent figuring out how to talk, share information and make joint decisions.

Then comes the issue of ownership. People are often protective of their work areas and hesitant to let go of control. Everyone wants to lead; few want to share. When responsibilities overlap and no one knows exactly who is doing what, accountability disappears. Meetings multiply, but outcomes don’t.

On top of that, there’s the bureaucracy. Health partnerships come with endless paperwork like memorandums, consent forms, approvals and governance processes. Information governance, especially when data is involved, can take months to sort through. These steps are important but they slow down action.

And then there’s capacity. Most people involved in these collaborations already have full workloads. New tasks from partnerships often become “extra work,” added on top of everything else. Without additional staff, time or funding, even the most promising ideas lose steam.

Partnerships can bring real value but only if they’re designed with clarity and honesty from the start. One simple way to improve them would be to change how they’re announced. Alongside the headline and photo, it would help if the announcement clearly explained:

• What each organisation’s role and scope will be

• Who is accountable for what

• What human resource capacity exists (or is needed) to make it work

This transparency would help set realistic expectations and prevent confusion later.

In the end, collaboration isn’t just about signing an agreement, it’s about sustaining trust, sharing power and managing complexity. Public health partnerships fail not because people don’t care, but because systems aren’t built to support genuine teamwork.

If we want real progress, the focus should shift from what’s announced to how it’s delivered. Because real collaboration begins where the press release ends.