Improving the practice of partnering worldwide requires a dedicated process of learning from experience, researching partnership activity and capturing new knowledge. The Partnering Initiative is committed to supporting this process through its work in partnership evaluation, collaborative research and active publication.
TPI not only captures, analyses and disseminates learning from its own projects – it also works with leading institutions to facilitate original research and to contribute to the wider community of partnership practitioners and theorists.
This section includes a range of publications, from reports and good practice guides to regional perspectives on partnering and surveys of particular fields.
Please join our group on Linked In to participate in the latest discussions, or see our blogs on topics related to partnering.
Partnership Platforms for the Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda is built on a fundamental shift in approach to international development: engaging the unique roles and resources of all sectors of society and requiring extensive collaboration across sectors to achieve its ambitious goals.
‘Partnership p...
An ‘all-of-society’ approach involving business in tackling the rise in NCDs
The incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in particular, the chronic diseases attributed to lifestyle factors
linked to poor diet, lack of physical activity, smoking and alcohol abuse, are rising dramatically throughout the world.
Already,...
An introduction to multi-stakeholder partnerships
Darian Stibbe and Dave Prescott, The Partnering Initiative, Oxford, 2016
This briefing document for the GPEDC High Level Meeting in November 2016 offers a definition of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) and shows how they are being used, where ...
Better Partnerships through Better Agreements
The Partnering Agreement Scorecard
By Stuart Reid and Stella Pfisterer,
Annual Review of Social Partnerships, 2014
Download the publication
Cafe Conversations
2006
A copendium of accredited essays by alumni of the Partnership Brokers Accreditation Scheme on the practice and theory of brokering multi-sector partnerships for sustainable development.
Download the publication
Collaboration for the SDGs: Exploring the support system for Effective Partnering
Dave Prescott & Darian Stibbe, The Partnering Initiative, Oxford, 2015
A Partnering Support System: The set of actors of all kinds (whether organisations, initiatives, platforms, individuals etc.) that together makes accessible the necessary...
Collaboration in a changing world: Trends in cross-sector partnering for INGOs 2020
Major shifts are taking place in the context within which development and humanitarian partnerships operate. Our new report with Bond looks at the key trends which are currently influencing INGO partnerships.
This brief study is based on survey questions...
Collaboration is the 'new normal'
by Darian Stibbe, Global Development Goals: Partnerships for Progress, UNA-UK, 2014
As development goals become increasingly dependent on partnerships of diverse
actors, how can the barriers be broken down to enable effective, concerted action?
Download...
Current practice in the evaluation of cross-sector partnerships for sustainable development
November 2008
This working paper evolved from an investigation of current practice in evaluating partnerships in 2008 with a team of students from the London School of Economics. The paper brings together the results of the investigation.
Download...
Delivering on the Promise
In-country multi-stakeholder platforms to catalyse collaboration and partnerships for Agenda 2030
Over the past few years both World Vision and The Partnering Initiative have engaged in and contributed to the global dialogue and practice on multi-stakeholder platforms and ...
Emerging opportunities for NGO-business partnerships
July 2008
This discussion paper originated as part of a Cross-sector Partnership (XSP) project involving World Vision, Accenture Development Partnerships and The Partnering Initiative. This paper aims to play its part in: revealing partnership potential,...
Facing the Facts: a survey of partnership practitioners
September 2006
This survey was conducted by The Partnering Initiative to discover just how successful multi-stakeholder partnerships have become and what changes are needed to enable partnerships to become more effective.
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Multi Stakeholder Platforms as System Change Agents
In collaboration with Wageningen University and Research and the Institute of Development Studies, we are proud to announce the publication of a new report titled, "Multi Stakeholder Platforms as System Change Agents - A guide for assessing effectiveness...
Partnering for Impact
Supporting Systemic Change to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.
by Richard Gilbert and Beth Jenkins, 2014.
This report analyses a wide range of business partnerships in Africa to identify key barriers and enablers for achieving...
Partnering Step by Step
January 2009
A guide to partnering at the grassroots level, written in response to demand from people working in many parts of the world on local level partnerships for sustainable development.
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Partnership Matters Journal
The Partnership Matters Journal explores a range of topics in cross-sector partnerships and drew on the work on those involved in the IBLF and University of Cambridge Programme for Industry Post-graduate Certificate in Cross-Sector Partnerships programme.
There...
Platforms for Partnership
Emerging good practice to systematically engage business as a partner in development
Reid, S., Hayes, J.P. and Stibbe, D.T.
The Partnering Initiative, Oxford, 2015
Download the report
Unleashing the Power of Business
A practical ‘Roadmap’ to systematically engage business as a partner in national development
While the role of the private sector and public private collaboration is core to delivering the SDGs, progress is still slow. At country level, some development act...