In 1988, the Associated General Contractors of America and the Construction Industry Institute (CII) came together to form a task force comprising 20 representatives from the public, private, and academic domains. This task force took a look at the construction process and developed a new, trailblazing approach to the building: Construction Partnering. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was an early adopter and proponent of the approach.

Partnering is centered on a facilitator-led Retreat for all stakeholders, before a project begins. The facilitator ensures that all stakeholder voices are heard, balancing power, building trust, and increasing transparency as well as shared values. This process will help any group that is not already embroiled in an emotional dispute.

The inception of Partnering saw a 69% reduction in claims between 1988 and 1993. Since the incorporation of Partnering into the construction industry, many partnered projects have been finished on or ahead of schedule, and millions of dollars have been saved annually. Today, Clay Partnering uses an approach inspired by Partnering as a team-alignment tool (Roadmap Partnering, a form of facilitation) that is potentially an alternative to strategic planning. It also offers an effective substitute to traditional dispute resolution in the form of traditional/original Partnering, another form of facilitation.