Providers need to stay focused to keep projects on track when executing on local broadband partnerships. Here’s how to do that.

1. Collaborate – Bring all stakeholders to the table at every stage of the process. This could include private companies, local government entities, and philanthropic and non-profit community partners. Agree to transparent communications and processes. This means not deliberately leaving some stakeholders out of meetings without their consent.
2. Manage expectations - incremental steps lead to large wins. Don't expect to have one meeting and then land the contract the next week. It will take time to create local tiger teams to figure out and aggregate demand, and to shepherd everyone to the necessary Board of Supervisors or City Council meetings, for example, to build the momentum to lead to the signing of a contract.
3. Make the most of Broadband.money's maps and community broadband kit, and collect other forms of empirical data. Encourage the community to conduct a broadband audit; crowdsource and aggregate demand. Figure out price points.

You must adhere by these principles if you hope to manage local coordination and community engagement successfully.