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10.a Partnership Agreement Toolkit 2021 Sister Cities Partnership Agreement Toolkit Types of Affiliations Sister City Relationship A Sister City relationship is formed when the mayor or highest elected official (or, if elections do not take place, highest appointed official) from a U.S. community and a community in another country or territory sign a formal agreement on behalf of their communities endorsing a “sister city/sister cities” relationship. Sister city agreements shall be considered active/valid unless otherwise indicated by one or both of the respective communities. Sister Cities International shall formally recognize only those relationships by cities/members in good standing (i.e. who are current on membership dues) in its Membership Directory or on its website. However, Sister Cities International shall not assert as invalid or otherwise impugn the legitimacy of those relationships formed by non-members. Friendship City A Friendship City or Friendship Cities relationship is often formed by cities as a “stepping stone” to a more formal “Sister City” agreement. Friendship City relationships can help communities explore compatibility; and develop the expertise and resources needed to maintain consistent programming. Typically, Friendship City agreements are referred to as such in the formal documents that are signed. General Guidelines In order for a sister city/county/state partnership to be recognized by Sister Cities International (SCI), the two communities must sign formal documents which clearly endorse the link. This presumes several key items: that the U.S. community is already a member of SCI and has followed proper procedures (e.g. passed a city council resolution declaring the intent to twin with the specific city); that both communities share a mutual commitment to the relationship; and that both have secured the necessary support structure to build a lasting relationship. You should check with your local sister city program to see if they have any additional requirements before pursuing a sister city relationship. SCI often refers to these agreements as a “Sister City Agreement” or “Memorandum of Understanding.” However, as the following examples show, the actual name and format of your documents is left up to you. A few things to keep in mind as you draft your agreement: • Your agreement can range from the ceremonial, with language focusing on each city’s commitment to fostering understanding, cooperation, and mutual benefit to the precise, with particular areas of interest, specific programs/activities, or more concrete goals related to anything from numbers of exchanges to economic development. • Don’t try to include everything you plan to do. Some specifics, like particular areas of interest or participating institutions are good to include. However, there’s no need to include all the programs you plan to do if it makes the document too lengthy or limits the scope of projects. This is a formal document to establish the relationship; specific tasks, responsibilities, or other nuts-and-bolts text related to implementation or administration of the partnership can be expressed more fully in a separate memorandum between the respective sister city committees. Your partnership agreement is a historical document and should not be dated or limited by being aligned with very specific tasks. Partnership Agreement Toolkit • Work with your counterparts. Remember that this is signed by both cities. You should share drafts of your agreement with your international partners and solicit feedback on what they’d like to see in the agreement. Be flexible to cultural or municipal priorities. • Ask your counterparts to translate the agreement if it is drafted in English. It is important for the citizens of your partner community to be able to read and understand the commitment their city has made. Have someone in your own community who speaks that language check the foreign-language version to make sure it mirrors what you have in your own agreement. • Keep it to one page. Ceremonial documents such as these partnership agreements work best if they can be posted in their entirety. • Most sister city agreements include some acknowledgement of the founding principles of the sister city movement—to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. • Use official letterhead and/or other embellishments such as city seals or logos to reflect the official nature of the relationship. Sister city agreements are often posted at city hall or other municipal offices and should reflect their historical importance • Look at other agreements your city has signed. These agreements may give you an idea of what is acceptable or possible, and they may be in an easily replicable format. If you cannot access older agreements please contact Sister Cities International, we may have them on file, although we do not have copies of all partnership agreements. • Documents must be signed by the top elected official of both communities. • Check with your mayor, city council, town clerk, et al. to make sure that they understand and support the agreement. The mayor is the one putting his or her name on the paper, and you don’t want to spend time developing an agreement which will never be signed. • Official documents are usually signed during a formal ceremony recognizing the partnership. Be sure both communities receive a signed set of the official documents for their records. • Remember to send your signed agreement to Sister Cities International. After we receive your agreement, we will post the relationship in the City Directory and make sure it is included in our Membership Directory. Remember that each city’s sister city program is independent and can impose requirements like the establishment of a committee, a review period, sustainability/funding plan, among others, before sanctioning a sister city agreement. Check with your local program or mayor’s office to see if this is the case. On the following pages you’ll find a series of partnership agreements to give you an idea of what is possible. While you should feel free to use some of the formatting and language, we encourage you to make your agreement your own and be creative with what you produce. If you are unsure about your agreement or want advice you can always solicit feedback by sending it to dean@sistercities.org or contacting us at (202) 347-8630. 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