Rethinking research partnerships
From Christian Aid’s centre of excellence for research, evidence and learning (REL)
In recent years, there has been a drive towards research collaboration between academics and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs). These new partnerships offer exciting opportunities to improve learning and practice in international development, leading to innovation and a deeper understanding of the world and, ultimately, a better impact on poverty eradication.
There are, however, significant challenges facing such research partnerships - limiting their ability to create sustainable change for the world’s poorest communities.
‘Rethinking research partnerships’ involved a series of seminars and workshops, emerging from a desire to understand the potential of these research partnerships. Bringing together UK staff from INGOs and universities to explore and learn from their experiences in research partnerships.
A new toolkit
Two-years later and following on from the seminar series, an exciting new publication has been created: Rethinking Research Partnerships: discussion guide and toolkit.
The guide provides ideas and approaches for anyone thinking about, or already participating in, an academic-practitioner research collaboration. This includes academics, practitioners, brokers or funders of research partnerships.
Challenging assumptions
The discussion guide and toolkit asks critical questions that should be considered within any research partnership. Providing different ways of exploring and analysing the external context and internal dynamics — linking the issue of who is participating and how, to the types of knowledge that are privileged and the types of evidence used, produced and valued in the partnership.
The guide offers ways of challenging traditional assumptions. Looking at how research processes could be designed, implemented, analysed and communicated in more inclusive ways with greater impact. The materials were produced collaboratively, and the guide itself is intended to be interactive, adaptable and useable in a variety of contexts.
Key issues to consider
A wide-range of issues are covered in the publication, but here are five issues to consider in research partnerships:
1. Take care of the relationship
Each partner will have their own motivations, expectations and assumptions as they enter a partnership. It is important to articulate them, be clear about what they are and to ensure they are given due consideration over the lifetime of the partnership.
2. Production of ‘evidence’ is key
Across the INGO sector there are increasing demands for ‘rigorous evidence’ and for academics to ensure their research has ‘impact’. These drivers contribute to the initial interest in partnership, but also create many of the assumptions that shape them. Including what ‘good evidence’ looks like and who owns responsibility for designing research, collecting data, analysing findings and creating outputs.
There can be many good reasons for challenging these default roles. Including generating space for different types of knowledge and evidence to be created, building skills and capacity in both types of institution or because of a specific ambition to challenge wider assumptions about evidence and shift power.
3. The impact of context
All the partnerships studied in the series were between UK universities and INGOs headquartered in the UK; this was both a limitation and a benefit of the series. It enabled us to think through the specific (funding and policy) drivers in the UK context — and really unpack how the external environment created interests and agendas, shaped expectations of what evidence would be produced in partnership and who the audience for this evidence should be.
We noted that, while context is important, the response to the context is not pre-determined. In some of the case studies the partnership evolved precisely to challenge context expectations, while in others, decisions were dominated by a need to service specific trends and priorities in the current context.
4. Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes
From the informal links between two like-minded individuals, to large scale funded institutional collaborations. However, whatever the size and scale, partnership working relies on individual connections, shared visions, personal relationships and an individual in each institution committed to making things work.
These people will often work as ‘partnership brokers’ able to listen and translate across organisational boundaries, understanding the language and pressures of both institutions, and smoothing the way for partnerships to flourish.
5. ‘Productive tensions’ make partnership working worthwhile
Much of the discussion of the RRP series focused on the challenges of partnership, but productive tensions, arising precisely because those involved are different, are a key asset. They bring together different ways of working, of thinking about issues, of skills, of relationships and interests.
These differences are what allows space to emerge for new ways of thinking and doing, for partners to be creative and explore alternatives. Valuing difference is key to enabling partnerships to be more than the sum of their parts
Reflections
The publication is the first step in understanding the potential of academic-INGO collaborations. Moving forward, we welcome your feedback as you work through the guide to help us to develop future resources to support effective research partnerships.
We hope it will inspire you to reflect on your own research partnership experiences, to explore and potentially challenge your own assumptions and feel confident in experimenting.
This includes viewing research collaborations as a space to do things differently and to consider how best to develop inclusive, evidence with impact for international development.
