Enabling collaborative synthesis in multi-partner programmes

Abstract

Multi-partner consortia have emerged as an important modality for knowledge generation to address complex sustainability challenges. Establishing effective multi-partner consortia involves significant investment. This article shares lessons from the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA), which aims to support policy and practice for climate change adaptation through a consortium model. Key lessons include the need to facilitate collaborative spaces to build trust and identify common interests, while accepting that this is not a guarantee of success; the importance of programmatic leadership to achieve synthesis; and the value of strategic planning in supporting motivation and alignment between partners.ARTICLE HISTORY

Design and Planning of a Transdisciplinary Investigation into Farmland Pollinators: Rationale, Co-Design, and Lessons Learned

“…However, in terms of the process of designing and executing transdisciplinary research in agroecology and sustainable food production, there remains a lack of clear guidelines, a general research framework, and a common vocabulary [77,80,159,161]. Establishing effective collaborative research networks requires consid-erable effort and faces numerous challenges, not least the requirement that each network member is fully integrated into the co-design process, whilst concurrently appreciating the needs and skills offered by other members [77,80,159,161,162].…”

“…Initial face-to-face discussions among the various academic and practicing stakeholder groups were essential for reaffirming the original themes of join interest that had initiated the project, and, therefore, refining research questions to be answered by the field research (Figure 5). It was then necessary to design a hierarchical research scheme that would collect data acceptable to all partners and of a form that would transition easily into improved policy and practice (Figure 5) [162]. Overall, the co-design process synthesised multiple and diverse inputs to form a scheme of work that was comprehensible to all network members and elevated the whole process from being simply additive to a synergistic multi-partner research exercise.…”

Managing collaborative research: insights from a multi-consortium programme on climate adaptation across Africa and South Asia

“…The literature has begun to identify how to organise largescale programmes to foster for collaboration, learning, and synthesis (Harvey et al 2017;Cochrane and Cundill 2018). Key issues that need to be addressed by managers, in addition to those described previously, include power asymmetries between partners, balancing different leadership styles, supporting the cooperation of parties with different aims and incentives, and, in large-scale collaborations in particular, addressing these issues through multi-layered features in design (Cundill et al 2019;Lonsdale and Goldthorpe 2012;Jones et al 2018).…”

Using “theory of change” to improve agricultural research: recent experience from Tanzania

“…Efficiency at all levels can also be improved through more concerted, coherent and coordinated efforts over meaningful periods linking donor and national sources of financing for a programme geared towards achieving national goals and the SDGs. Despite high transactions costs often associated with collaboration and collaborative synthesis of lessons generated from complex programmes (Cochrane and Cundill 2018), greater collaboration over longer periods by CGIAR and national R&D organisations is still recommended for efficiency and sustainability. This also requires strong national leadership, at least in thought guidance if not institutionalised, to enhance efficiency in implementation and scaling of complex AR4D initiatives like MZ with ToC as an aid.…”