Partnership and Transformation: The Promise of Multi-stakeholder Collaboration in Context

Over the last 30 years, partnership has received growing attention across a range of sectors and disciplines. Widely used to describe a relationship in which different actors pool their resources, knowledge and skills to address common problems, partnership is currently presented as central to the achievement of more inclusive and sustainable development. Rejecting "one size fits all" approaches, and mindful of different understandings of the term, Partnership and Transformation: The Promise of Multi-stakeholder Collaboration in Context, which is designed to appeal to both academics and practitioners alike, argues that partnership must be understood in relation to specific contexts and the added value it may offer for individuals, organisations and wider society. It is further suggested that the transformational potential of partnership rests critically upon a move away from purely instrumental considerations of its worth to a deeper appreciation of its intrinsic value as a process based on interpersonal relationships. A stronger balance between pragmatic and reflective dimensions of partnership can, the author claims, enhance opportunities for meaningful deliberation and productive conflict and contribute to the systems change needed for a global citizenship that embraces human well-being and stewardship of the planet.

Leda Stott is a specialist in multi-stakeholder collaboration, a partnership expert for the European Commission and an associate of the Innovation and Technology for Development Centre at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain.