How are research for development programmes implementing and evaluating equitable partnerships to address power asymmetries?

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Snijder, Mieke and Steege, Rosie and Callander, Michelle and Wahome, Michel and Rahman, M Feisal and Apgar, Marina and Theobald, Sally and Bracken, Louise J and Dean, Laura and Mansaray, Bintu and Saligram, Prasanna and Garimella, Surekha and Arthurs-Hartnett, Sophia and Karuga, Robinson and Mejía Artieda, Adriana Elizabeth and Chengo, Victoria and Ateles, Joanes (2023) How are research for development programmes implementing and evaluating equitable partnerships to address power asymmetries? The European Journal of Development Research, 35 (2). pp. 351-379. ISSN 1743-9728 (https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-023-00578-w)

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Abstract

The complexity of issues addressed by research for development (R4D) requires collaborations between partners from a range of disciplines and cultural contexts. Power asymmetries within such partnerships may obstruct the fair distribution of resources, responsibilities and benefits across all partners. This paper presents a cross-case analysis of five R4D partnership evaluations, their methods and how they unearthed and addressed power asymmetries. It contributes to the field of R4D partnership evaluations by detailing approaches and methods employed to evaluate these partnerships. Theory-based evaluations deepened understandings of how equitable partnerships contribute to R4D generating impact and centring the relational side of R4D. Participatory approaches that involved all partners in developing and evaluating partnership principles ensured contextually appropriate definitions and a focus on what partners value.

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