The Partnership Accelerator is a major new collaborative initiative between TPI and the United Nations led by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, along with UN Office of Partnerships, UN Global Compact, and UN Development Coordination office.
The Accelerator aims to develop the partnership enabling ecosystem that can systematically engage business as a partner in sustainable development and accelerate the number and effectiveness of partnerships to deliver the 2030 Agenda at the country level.
Its objectives specifically are:
- To raise understanding and build the partnering skills and competencies of UN and government staff, alongside NGO and business counterparts; this will result in far faster partnership development and the creation of more robust, more effective partnerships;
- To support the organizational change required for our institutions to become ‘fit for partnering’, enabling them to optimize the way they work and so deliver more through far more efficient and effective partnering;
- To draw out good practice and support the development of efficient SDG partnership platforms around the world, thereby creating the mechanism through which governments and the UN can systematically engage, and partner, with business and other development actors.
The Accelerator delivers a range of programmes, including:
| Area | Initial phase | Future plans |
| Individuals: Building partnering skills and understanding of business | Development of an SDG Partnership Guidebook
Development of a training course and delivery in four countries (and other countries where funding is available) Where additional resources can be found, the coursebook and course will be translated and delivered in other languages. Key partnership resources put online. |
An SDG Partnering Academy:
Training of trainers to build up a faculty of partnership trainers (from the UN, INGOs, training organisations), and a low-cost cascading model able to deliver in-country training at considerable scale. Development of online training courses and further modules (including specialized SDG-specific training) for complete partnership professional development, including certification. Work together with other training providers to deliver their courses through the infrastructure created. Extensive online partnership resource centre. |
| Institutions: Fit for Partnering | The basics of building ‘fit for partnering’ organisations included in the guidebook and training above. | Direct support to UN and other organisations to undertake a process of analysis of their organisations and develop roadmap plans of action to build their institutional capability.
Develop best practice guidance and training for building fitness for partnering to disseminate and cascade out the approach out widely. |
| Platforms and partnership support mechanisms | Undertake research into the different platforms currently operating, the models, challenges and effective practice | Build an action network of platforms for the exchange of learning and material; and development of best practice guidance;
Provision of direct support and capacity building to UN and countries to build platforms for the SDGs (in association with UNDP wherever relevant); Creation of map of qualified and experienced organizations and individuals able to provide direct support to partnerships, made accessible through the online partnership resource centre. |