Partnership Assessment One-Pager

About This Assessment

The Partnership Assessment One-Pager is a simple framework to evaluate potential partners objectively. Instead of relying on gut feel or politics, use consistent criteria to make partnership decisions.

Why You Need This

Without a structured assessment process:

• You say yes to partnerships based on who asks first
• Politics and relationships override strategic fit
• You can't compare partnership opportunities objectively
• You waste time on partnerships that won't succeed
• You can't explain to executives why you chose certain partners

The Partnership Assessment solves these problems with a repeatable evaluation framework.

Assessment Dimensions

Strategic Alignment

Business Objectives

• Does this partnership support our strategic goals?
• What business outcomes will it drive?
• How does it fit our partnership strategy?

Market Position

• How does this partnership affect competitive position?
• Does it strengthen or weaken our market presence?
• What ecosystem implications exist?

Partner Fit

Ideal Partner Profile (IPP) Match

• Company profile alignment (size, maturity, geography)
• Technical capabilities match
• Customer base overlap
• Business model compatibility
• Cultural alignment

Red Flags

• Financial instability
• Poor reputation
• Conflicting partnerships
• Resource constraints

Value Exchange

What Partner Provides

• Customer access and market reach
• Technical capabilities and IP
• Brand and credibility
• Resources and investment

What We Provide

• Revenue opportunity
• Product access and integration
• Co-marketing and visibility
• Training and support

Economic Viability

• Is the value exchange balanced?
• Can both parties achieve ROI?
• Are economics sustainable long-term?

Execution Feasibility

Resources Required

• Technical integration complexity
• Marketing and sales investment
• Support and operations overhead
• Legal and contract requirements

Risks and Dependencies

• Technical risks
• Business risks
• Operational risks
• Strategic risks

Timeline and Effort

• Time to value
• Implementation complexity
• Resource availability
• Opportunity cost

Expected Outcomes

Quantitative Impact

• Revenue contribution (direct/indirect)
• Customer acquisition
• Market share gain
• Cost savings

Qualitative Impact

• Competitive differentiation
• Customer satisfaction
• Team capability building
• Strategic optionality

How to Use

1. Score Each Dimension

Rate the partnership opportunity on each dimension:

• High (3) - Strong fit, clear value
• Medium (2) - Acceptable fit, moderate value
• Low (1) - Weak fit, limited value
• Disqualified (0) - Deal breaker

2. Weight by Importance

Not all dimensions are equally important:

• Assign weights based on your strategy
• Focus on must-have criteria
• Allow flexibility on nice-to-haves

3. Calculate Total Score

Combine scores and weights:

• Multiply score by weight for each dimension
• Sum to get total weighted score
• Compare against threshold

4. Make Decision

Use the assessment to:

• Pursue - High scores, clear strategic value
• Explore Further - Medium scores, need more information
• Pass - Low scores, poor fit
• Revisit Later - Timing or resources not right

Use Cases

Partner Recruitment

Evaluate inbound partnership requests:

• Prioritize which opportunities to pursue
• Allocate resources to highest-potential partners
• Politely decline poor-fit partnerships

Strategic Partnership Decisions

For major partnership investments:

• Build business case for executives
• Compare multiple partnership options
• Align stakeholders on selection criteria

Portfolio Management

Review existing partnerships:

• Identify underperforming partnerships to exit
• Find high-potential partnerships to deepen
• Balance portfolio across dimensions

Who This Is For

• Partnership Managers - Evaluating partnership opportunities
• Business Development - Qualifying strategic deals
• Executives - Approving major partnerships
• Product Teams - Selecting integration partners
• Sales Leaders - Choosing channel partners

What's Included

• Partnership Assessment One-Pager (PDF template)
• Evaluation framework with key dimensions
• Scoring methodology and guidelines
• Decision matrix for comparison
• Example assessments from real partnerships

Benefits

• Objective Decisions - Remove bias and politics
• Consistent Process - Same criteria for all partnerships
• Executive Alignment - Clear rationale for decisions
• Faster Decisions - Structured evaluation process
• Better Outcomes - Select partnerships more likely to succeed

Related Templates

• Partner Hypothesis - Validate partnership assumptions
• Ideal Partner Profile - Define selection criteria
• Partner Research & Qualification Sheet - Track evaluation process

Get Started

Get free access to the Partnership Assessment one-pager and start making better partnership decisions today.