The Partnering Initiative

  • Training and Services
  • Research and Learning
  • Global Impact
  • TPI Tools
  • Home
  • About Us
  • COVID-19
  • News and Views
  • Publications
  • Multimedia
  • Friends of TPI
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Posts / General News / Mapping the SDG partnering support system: we need your help!

June 13, 2016 By Julia Gilbert

Mapping the SDG partnering support system: we need your help!

Collaboration wheel PEPOver the past few months, TPI has been involved in an ambitious initiative, alongside four other partnering organisations, to explore ways to increase the quality and effectiveness of partnering for the SDGs. Promoting Effective Partnering, or ‘PEP’, is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its co-chairmanship of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

TPI has been working to better understand the landscape for partnering on the SDGs, and to map out what the ‘partnering support system’ looks like in order to scale up the impact of collaborative efforts. This work will lead to the publication of a report: Partnering for the SDGs: Building the system of support to mainstream collaboration for sustainable development. We have produced a working draft document, which we are now throwing open for critique and comment and we need your input. The report explores two main ideas, which will be extensively explored in an upcoming blog series. The first idea is that in order for partnerships to be mainstreamed and effective there need to be five interlinked elements in place:

  • Individuals involved in partnership need the right partnering skills, competencies and understanding of other sectors
  • Organisations need to be institutionally fit to partner 
  • Partnerships need to operate to good practice standards
  • Platforms need to be in place to systematically catalyse and professionalise partnerships
  • System-wide, the right enabling policies and interlinkages across platforms and partnerships need to be in place

Similar approaches and knowledge are required across these five levels, which are often seen in isolation rather than as part of this integrated, nested framework. And the integrated agenda of the SDGs will require integrated approaches.

The second idea is that, in order to catalyse and spread knowledge and expertise about partnering effectively, and scale up impact, a ‘partnering support system’ is needed. This support system can reduce duplication of effort and help us learn from experience more quickly. The TPI report suggests that there are six identifiable categories within this emergent support system, which exists only in fragmented form. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to map the system:

  1. Showcasing / pledging initiatives, which raise awareness and build understanding of the role of collaboration for the SDGs, which may include calls for action / collection of pledges (often with focus on the private sector)
  2. Intermediary organisations, including platforms, initiatives and organisations that catalyse partnerships (multi-stakeholder initiatives, UN and other development agencies, NGOs, business or other membership organisations)
  3. Partnership facilitators / consultants, comprising skilled professionals able to take partners through a robust partnering process to ensure alignment of interests and robust, effective partnerships, including monitoring and evaluation of impact (individuals, consultancies, universities or intermediary organisations)
  4. Capacity building organisations, providing training in effective partnering for individuals; supporting organisational development (consultancies, universities, training organisations)
  5. Research and learning organisations, which draw out learning; communicate / share knowledge; and further knowledge on partnering (universities, knowledge institutes, consultancies, development agencies)
  6. Funding organisations, which financially or otherwise supporting the development of public-private partnerships (potentially by supporting intermediary organisations or platforms) and financial support for implementation (donors, foundations etc.)

The report draws on a round of expert interviews and extensive desk research, as well as building on earlier TPI work such as the Roadmap to unleash the power of business as a partner in development. We would be very interested in your thoughts. A feedback form is available here.

We are also creating a database of organisations, initiatives, and training courses that support partnership. If you would like to register your organisation as a partnership support entity, you can do so here.

Download the report.

We are asking for feedback by 13th July, and your input will be acknowledged in the report which will be launched later this year.

Filed Under: General News Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA
Refresh

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • Fighting side-by-side against COVID-19

    Fighting side-by-side against COVID-19

    April 3, 2020
  • COVID-19: Seven lessons we have learnt about the present and future of partnering

    COVID-19: Seven lessons we have learnt about the present and future of partnering

    January 14, 2021
  • Advancing partnerships to support the SDGs in the Maldives

    Advancing partnerships to support the SDGs in the Maldives

    November 4, 2020
  • Combining my strength in research with my passion for hands on delivery

    Combining my strength in research with my passion for hands on delivery

    October 30, 2020

Latest Tweets

  • Thrilled to see our Trustee @SeandeCleene announced by @UN as a @FoodSystems Champion to galvanize and build networ… https://t.co/5xG6wOXfea October 1, 2020 8:18 am
  • 🚨 We are proud to announce the launch of the "Building Forward Better Framework"!! Alongside @ICMM_com &… https://t.co/HFoCucmqwv September 3, 2020 10:32 am
  • Collaboration between startups and third sector organisations is complex. But once the barriers are overcome, there… https://t.co/veWwk4eQWy July 27, 2020 9:07 am
  • Follow Us

Our Courses

  • Building Effective Partnerships for Sustainable Development
  • Certificate in Partnering Practice
  • Tailored Training

Publications

  • The SDG Partnership Guidebook
  • Maximizing Partnership Value Creation Guidebook
  • Unleashing the Power of Business
  • Internal Prospective Partnership Assessment Tool
  • Partnership Platforms for the Sustainable Development Goals

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive TPI updates.

Sign Up Now
  • Training and Services
  • Research and Learning
  • Global Impact
  • TPI Tools


© 2021 The Partnering Initiative · Privacy Policy · Contact Us · Log in

Cookie Policy

This site uses cookies: Find out more.