Some like-minded organizations share their views about working together

Through years of work in Canada and around the world, IISD and its partners have learned that when good organizations come together to do good things, the whole is often greater then the sum of the parts

Compiled by Dennis Cunningham

This annual report identifies and celebrates numerous institutional achievements from the last fiscal year. While they vary in size and scope, almost all of IISD's programmatic highlights share one common characteristic—a reliance on collaboration.

Increasingly, sustainable development organizations are discovering that project success can elude those who try to go it alone. The most important outcomes in the SD field are achieved by organizations working together. Logic and economies dictate that the partnership model offers the greatest opportunity for efficiency and for success. And funders are starting to favour projects that are anchored by sound relationships among collaborating institutions.

For a developing country organization like the Fundación Bariloche, it is not easy to find an organization in the developed world that allows us to be as we are without any pressure to change out points of view. In that sense, we are very comfortable working with IISD, because we can share opinions and points of view in an environment of freedom and on an equal basis. Osvaldo Giradin, Fundación Bariloche, Argentina

The composition of IISD's partnership base changes as old projects end and new ones begin. At any given time, though, the Institute is collaborating with 70-80 organizations—north and south of the equator.

This is not to say there aren't challenges inherent in project partnerships. There are language barriers; cultural differences; differences in institutional capacity; different accounting and fundraising procedures; and, sometimes, different motivations and expectations among the partners. Time differences and the expense of face-to-face meetings can also test relationships.

Since 1995, IISD has devoted a great deal of energy to understanding the nature and management of collaborative work, especially in the form of formal knowledge networks. Our book, Strategic Intentions, captures much of our learning to date. Current work—being carried out in partnership with others, of course—focuses on substantive issues including planning and monitoring; communications and influencing strategies; internal governance; and external transparency and accountability. (For more information about our learnings on knowledge networks, please click here.)

Even with the challenges of collaborative work and the learning that still needs to be done, there is much to be gained from working with partners and within networks. Organizations working together increase their funding opportunities; avoid duplication; learn from each other; and enhance their credibility in the eyes of decision-makers.

The main strength IISD brings to partnerships is expertise in the theory and best practive of knowledge networks, partnerships and coalitions—intellectual capital, experience, and insight. Other key contributions include institutionanal credibility in the eyes of other partners and donors, and strong networks with other key organizations. Nick Moraitis, TakingITGlobal, Canada

IISD asked six partnering organizations to share their views on partnerships. Selected responses appear here. The partners we invited were:

• Cristina Nogues, Fundación Acceso (Costa Rica) – an affiliate member of the Sustainable Development Communications Network (SDCN), for which IISD serves as the hub. http://www.acceso.or.cr/

• Osvaldo Giradin, Fundación Bariloche (Argentina) – a member of the Climate Change Knowledge Network, and partnered with IISD most recently on the publication Seeing the Light: Adapting to climate change with decentralized renewable energy in developing countries. http://www.fundacionbariloche.org.ar/

• Nick Moraitis, Taking It Global (Canada) – works with IISD as part of the Youth Creating Digital Opportunities (YCDO) co-ordination team. http://www.takingitglobal.org

• Dr. Shaheen Rafi Khan, The Sustainable Development Policy Institute - SDPI (Pakistan) – active member of the Trade Knowledge Network, which is co-managed by IISD. http://www.sdpi.org

• Kakuko Nagatani Yoshida, The Division of Early Warning and Assessment of the United Nations Environment Program for Latin America and the Caribbean region - UNEP DEWA (Mexico) – has worked with IISD in its capacity as a North American collaborating centre for the Global Environmental Outlook. UNEP DEWA has also hosted participants from IISD's Young Canadian Leaders for a Sustainable Future internship program. http://www.unep.org/dewa/index.asp

• Dr. Saleem Huq, The International Institute for Environment and Development - IIED (United Kingdom) – has been engaged in a wide variety of partnership initiatives with IISD ranging from work in trade and sustainable development to climate change to acting as a host organization for YCLSF interns. David Runnalls, IISD President and CEO, is currently a member of the IIED board of trustees and has been involved with the institute since its inception. http://www.iied.org

Why does your organization work in partnerships?

• SDPI: SDPI is involved in South-South as well as North-South partnerships with like-minded research institutions. Synergies exist in developing consensus-based research themes; undertaking collaborative research; and formulating communication and outreach strategies. Such an approach is likely to have more credibility with donors and the policy community, especially where regional and global issues are concerned. North-South associations can help dispel misperceptions and identify converging interests that lead to win-win situations.

• IIED: Most of our work is in the developing world where we need the insights and experience of local partners. IIED's approach to building partnerships with organizations is to build them slowly over the long term based on mutually shared objectives, interests and strategies.

What do you feel the future of partnership holds for advancing sustainable development?

• UNEP DEWA: Having recognized that working in partnership could slow things down as well, we believe that without partnership there will be no sustainable development at all. Sustainable development, as we know, calls for the participation and commitment of every individual in our society. This multi-level and multi-sectoral initiative, called sustainable development, can be achieved only if we all decide to work for a common good noting that the problems of resource scarcity (especially natural resources); financial and social inequity; and security are upon us with sense of urgency.

• Taking IT Global: I think there is a general recognition that we all—the whole planet—need to cooperate in order to eventually achieve a more sustainable way of living and a more sustainable approach to development. More immediately, partnerships are central to our work—only through taking account of each other's learning, networks and capacity can we implement truly impactful global responses to the global challenges we face.

What challenges are there in working with partners?

• Fundación Acceso: Language and cultural barriers; transparency and proactive communication; clear identification of specific and common goals, including areas where there will not be or where you can't have collaboration; openness to change and an attitude for continuous learning, which is process oriented; availability of necessary (financial and non-financial) resources; and a willingness to work under open content/open knowledge schemes.

• Fundación Bariloche: The main challenge is participation in the process of partnership, because it implies the acceptance of others' points of view and an emphasis on building consensus. It is not always possible to agree with other partners on all the relevant issues. In fact, it is exciting to participate in the process of establishing minimum common consensus points.

IISD's high professional standards, cutting-edge thinking on sustainable development and nurturing management style have established precedents in quality and equity which SDPI has benefited greatly from. Dr. Shaheen Rafi Khan, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan