We are here today with the GCA Global Partnership Officer Terry Wilson - it’s good to have you with us.
Terry, why is GCA implementing a new partnership model?
Good morning Andrea, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to answer your questions this morning.
It is essential as an organisation we regularly reflect, review and adjust where necessary, our organisational and operational structure to ensure we keep focused on delivering against our vision and mission. We have done this and as GCA plans for the future, sustainability is a challenge we must address. Partnership is a key principle upon which GCA and our success has been built, but as we grow so must the ways in which we engage our partners.
We have implemented a model that we believe supports GCA’s sustainability goals and will provide stronger engagement and more value to GCA partners. The new partnership model is designed to:
• Improve engagement with partners by creating a deeper GCA partnership team
• Achieve better outcomes by directing more resources to relationships that
further GCA’s mission
• Support financial sustainability
• Increase clarity of partnership benefits
• Foster stronger organisational buy-in
GCA is committed to continuing to develop tools and resources that are freely available for any individual or organisation that wishes to use them. Our mission – uniting the global community to eradicate cyber risk – has not changed. As part of this new plan we have identified the category of “GCA Friend” for those organisations who wish to keep in touch with us and support our work but for whom a partnership fee is not feasible.
Additionally, government agencies, law enforcement, nonprofits, and academic institutions are critical stakeholders and collaborators for the work we do, but we understand that partnership fees can be impossible for them. GCA will waive the partnership fee for these types of organisations, though we will still ask for contributions and support whether in-kind or financial.
Where will you be placing emphasis for partnership growth over the next 2 years?
We currently have a community of over 270 partners, with the majority located in the United States followed by the United Kingdom. To be truly global we want to support the Executive Director in each region to increase and expand our partner community but specifically concentrating on Europe, Africa, Middle East, India and Latin America over the next 2 years.
How important is it having the right partnership mix in furthering GCA goals?
The Global Cyber Alliance is a cross sector diverse community driven coalition that is at the heart of everything we do, instrumental in our past success and critical to our global impact moving forward. GCA partners from over 19 sectors, public and private, join our global network and community to contribute to projects that mitigate cybersecurity risks that affect public interest and that go beyond what one organisation can tackle individually. The richness of our diverse partner capabilities ensures we are supported by a substantial technical, intelligence, communications, and financial contribution to systemic cyber risk eradication.
And Terry, what are the key attributes you look for to ensure a strong partnership and impact towards the GCA global mission to eradicate cyber risk?
Well Andrea, we forge partnerships with those of like-minded values and who share our vision, to work with us to scale and amplify our current and future projects helping to eradicate cyber risk & making the internet safer for everyone. These attributes include the enthusiasm to Champion GCA at every opportunity, promote GCA’s mission and approach, nationally and globally, participate in GCA’s projects, lead or contribute to a sector, national, and regional engagement and importantly contribute to GCA’s long-term sustainability.
What changes have been made in light of the devastating impact of the Coronavirus?
We have suspended the transition period for the new partnership operating model until we collectively come through this terrible pandemic. Now more than ever we need to unite global communities, support one another and come out the other end as unscathed as possible. Whilst still progressing our existing projects we also need to be agile. An example of this is drawing from our partner community in fast time, a coalition of not for profit organisations to promote and amplify our Work From Home campaign.
Thanks Terry, that’s been really informative - what is the best way of getting hold of you if anyone has any further questions or would like to know more?
Andrea, thanks for the opportunity to answer your questions this morning. I would be delighted to answer further questions from our partner community and guests via this community forum. This is an excellent resource to acquire information, learn more about GCA tools and discuss topics with GCA and others on the forum. Thanks again, awesome…