Partners and clients have different needs
Different types of community collaborators have different expectations. Developers commonly default to a client-service mindset, delivering solutions based on requirements, timelines, and payments. However, open infrastructure efforts thrive when communities are treated not just as end-users, but rather as active partners in co-design. These partnerships emphasize shared ownership, iterative development, and long-term sustainability over polished deliverables.
Solutions
1.
Identify the nature of each relationship early
Are you providing a service or building something together?
2.
Develop working agreements that reflect the relationship type
Include expectations around communication, flexibility, and ownership.
3.
Develop and employ different models of support depending on whom you are working with
Use relational strategies that are specific to the people you are working with. For example, a client may set deadlines, payment schedules, and minimum requirements, but community partners may require more flexible timelines and iterative goals or outputs.
4.
Encourage alignment where possible
Identify moments where improvements can be made to further community goals. For example, align client projects with open standards to benefit future community reuse.
Know of another resource or solution?
Resources
Nature Canada's A Guide To Engagement Organizing
Nature Canada's "A Guide To Engagement Organizing" is a good approach to organizing communities of participants. The guide outlines recruitment, designing diverse engagement pathways, surfacing leaders, and tracking.