Document Type: Protocol
Status: Active
Version: v1.0
Authority: HeadOffice
Applies To: Partnership Brain, Sales Brain, Customer Brain, Strategy Brain
Parent: Partnership Brain
Last Reviewed: 2026-04-26
Purpose
The Partnership Brain Partner Lifecycle Protocol defines the structured process for identifying, onboarding, developing, and managing partner relationships within MWMS.
Partnerships are not one-time actions.
They are systems that evolve over time.
This protocol ensures every partnership moves through a controlled lifecycle:
- structured
- measurable
- scalable
- repeatable
Core Principle
Strong partnerships are built through structured progression.
Unstructured partnerships create inconsistency, missed value, and execution failure.
Definition
Partner Lifecycle:
The full journey of a partner relationship from identification to long-term development and performance review.
Role Within MWMS
This protocol supports:
- Partnership Brain partner management
- Strategy Brain growth planning
- Sales Brain revenue generation
- Customer Brain relationship value
- HeadOffice governance
It directly influences:
- partner performance
- campaign success
- relationship quality
- long-term growth potential
Lifecycle Stages
Every partner must move through the following stages.
- Research Stage
Objective:
Identify and evaluate potential partners.
Actions:
- define ideal partner profile
- identify target companies
- perform Partner Fit Evaluation
- gather initial intelligence
- prioritise opportunities
Outputs:
- shortlist of potential partners
- partner evaluation notes
- initial outreach plan
Decision:
- Approved For Outreach
- Needs More Research
- Reject
- Negotiation Stage
Objective:
Define the structure of the partnership.
Actions:
- initial outreach
- relationship building
- define goals and expectations
- assess mutual value
- explore campaign ideas
- define scope of collaboration
- align on incentives
- discuss commercial structure (if applicable)
Optional:
- formal agreement or contract
Outputs:
- partnership agreement (formal or informal)
- defined goals
- initial campaign concept
Decision:
- Proceed To Onboarding
- Revise Terms
- Reject
- Onboarding Stage
Objective:
Prepare the partner for execution.
Actions:
- define KPIs and success metrics
- align on messaging and positioning
- share assets (logos, content, data)
- align on campaign plan
- establish communication cadence
- define roles and responsibilities
- set timelines
Outputs:
- campaign plan
- shared assets
- defined execution structure
Decision:
- Ready For Campaign Execution
- Requires Adjustment
- Development Stage
Objective:
Execute campaigns and build relationship value.
Actions:
- execute partner campaigns
- collaborate with internal teams
- manage deliverables
- maintain communication
- monitor campaign performance
- iterate campaigns
- identify new opportunities
Outputs:
- campaign results
- performance data
- relationship expansion opportunities
- Review Stage
Objective:
Evaluate performance and future potential.
Actions:
- analyse campaign results
- gather feedback (internal + partner)
- evaluate ROI
- assess relationship quality
- identify improvements
- determine next actions
Outputs:
- performance report
- partnership assessment
- next-stage recommendation
Decision:
- Scale Partnership
- Maintain Partnership
- Rework Partnership
- Retire Partnership
Lifecycle Flow
Research
↓
Negotiation
↓
Onboarding
↓
Development
↓
Review
↓
Repeat or Exit
Win Win Win Rule
At every stage, the partnership must deliver:
- value for MWMS
- value for the partner
- value for the customer
If any element is missing:
→ the partnership must be re-evaluated
Feedback Loop Rule
Insights from later stages must feed back into earlier stages.
Examples:
- poor performance → refine partner selection
- messaging issues → update onboarding
- execution issues → refine operational fit
The lifecycle is not linear.
It is iterative.
Relationship Growth Rule
Strong partnerships should evolve.
Expansion opportunities include:
- additional campaigns
- deeper integration
- shared audiences
- content expansion
- revenue expansion
Partnerships should compound over time.
Communication Rule
Consistent communication is required across all stages.
Minimum expectations:
- clear updates
- transparent performance reporting
- aligned expectations
- shared feedback
Poor communication degrades partnerships.
Ownership Rule
Partnership Brain owns lifecycle management.
Other Brains support execution.
No partnership should exist without clear ownership.
Performance Measurement Rule
Every partnership must be measured.
Metrics may include:
- leads generated
- revenue generated
- campaign engagement
- audience growth
- conversion performance
- partner satisfaction
Unmeasured partnerships cannot be improved.
Exit Rule
Partnerships must be exited when:
- value is no longer created
- execution fails repeatedly
- trust breaks down
- strategic alignment changes
- ROI is consistently weak
Exit decisions must be documented.
Cross Brain Integration
Partnership Brain
- owns lifecycle
Strategy Brain
- ensures strategic alignment
Sales Brain
- validates revenue potential
Customer Brain
- evaluates relationship impact
Data Brain
- measures performance
Experimentation Brain
- validates campaign success
HeadOffice
- governs high-value or high-risk partnerships
Failure Modes Prevented
- unstructured partnerships
- poor onboarding
- weak execution
- lack of accountability
- relationship breakdown
- missed growth opportunities
- unclear ownership
Drift Protection
The system must prevent:
- skipping lifecycle stages
- unclear partnership goals
- lack of performance tracking
- unmanaged relationships
- unreviewed partnerships
- indefinite low-value partnerships
Architectural Intent
This protocol ensures MWMS treats partnerships as:
→ managed growth systems
rather than:
→ opportunistic activities
It creates repeatable, scalable partnership operations.
Final Rule
If the partnership is not progressing through the lifecycle:
→ it is not being managed properly
Change Log
Version: v1.0
Date: 2026-04-26
Author: HeadOffice
Change
Created Partner Lifecycle Protocol defining structured progression from research to review for all MWMS partnerships.
Change Impact Declaration
Pages Created:
Partnership Brain Partner Lifecycle Protocol
Pages Updated:
None
Pages Deprecated:
None
Registries Requiring Update:
MWMS Architecture Registry
Partnership Brain Page Registry
Canon Version Update Required:
No
Change Log Entry Required:
Yes
END