Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Research Articles

Applying Knowledge Management in Public Health Intervention

Street food safety (SFS) has become an emerging public health concern in most developing countries like Bangladesh. Interventions are trying to improve the sector; however, a lack of coordination and value co-creation between macro and micro-level stakeholders strongly impedes the achievement of long-term benefits. Therefore, community participation is needed to achieve a multi-stakeholder partnership (MSP) and community-based knowledge management (KM) for a successful intervention. The purpose of this study is to identify secondary school students as KM tools to facilitate knowledge management activities. The action research was conducted using community people in two major cities in Bangladesh. Based on the findings, students can act as KM tools who can facilitate coordination and value co-creation process. A conceptual framework has been proposed to understand the MSP and KM concepts where the integrated strategy of those two concepts not only develops a sustainable solution for the SFS system but also can be applied to many other public health issues in developing countries.

Multi-stakeholder Partnerships for Sustainability: Designing Decision-Making Processes for Partnership Capacity

To address the prevalence and complexities of sustainable development challenges around the world, organizations in the business, government, and non-profit sectors are increasingly collaborating via multi-stakeholder partnerships. Because complex problems can be neither understood nor addressed by a single organization, it is necessary to bring together the knowledge and resources of many stakeholders. Yet, how these partnerships coordinate their collaborative activities to achieve mutual and organization-specific goals is not well understood. This study takes an organization design perspective of collaborative decision-making processes to explore how they impact the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships. We compare the decision-making processes of 94 sustainability-focused multi-stakeholder partnerships and find that collaborative decision-making has an indirect and positive impact on partnership capacity through systems that keep partners informed, coordinate partner interactions, and facilitate ongoing learning. The implications of this study for multi-stakeholder partnership research and practice are that partnership capacity is contingent on the design of decision-making processes, as well as internal mechanisms that coordinate and monitor collaborative activities.

The Sustainable Development Goals in South Africa: Investigating the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships

ABSTRACTAchieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depends on partnerships between stakeholders from government, the private sector, civil society, academic and research institutions, and international agencies. The United Nations (UN) system provides governance and support from an international perspective; national government creates an enabling and monitoring environment for implementation; civil society creates advocacy and awareness; the academic and research community provides knowledge, technologies and innovation for implementation; and the private sector does much of the implementation towards achieving the SDG targets. These different roles and responsibilities imply that development objectives cannot be achieved in isolation. There is a need for integration and partnerships between the different role players. While partnerships do already exist, there is a call for interventions to strengthen them. Multi-stakeholder platforms are proposed as a mechanism to support and encourage partnerships, and to provide leadership on successful partnerships for achieving the SDGs. Any partnership established needs to be accountable, as well as people- and planet-centred.

Harnessing Wicked Problems in Multi-stakeholder Partnerships

Despite the burgeoning literature on the governance and impact of cross-sector partnerships in the past two decades, the debate on how and when these collaborative arrangements address globally relevant problems and contribute to systemic change remains open. Building upon the notion of wicked problems and the literature on governing such wicked problems, this paper defines harnessing problems in multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) as the approach of taking into account the nature of the problem and of organizing governance processes accordingly. The paper develops an innovative analytical framework that conceptualizes MSPs in terms of three governance processes (deliberation, decision-making and enforcement) harnessing three key dimensions of wicked problems (knowledge uncertainty, value conflict and dynamic complexity). The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil provides an illustrative case study on how this analytical framework describes and explains organizational change in partnerships from a problem-based perspective. The framework can be used to better understand and predict the complex relationships between MSP governance processes, systemic change and societal problems, but also as a guiding tool in (re-)organizing governance processes to continuously re-assess the problems over time and address them accordingly.

An adapted companion modelling approach for enhancing multi-stakeholder cooperation in complex river basins

ABSTRACTThe sustainable development agenda 2030 calls for achievement of certain targets to ensure access to water and sanitation for all. Multi-stakeholder partnerships and the use of data and modelling tools are conditioning elements for their achievement. In this article, we demonstrate that participatory modelling supports informed and participatory decision making in complex river basins. An adapted companion modelling approach is presented to support collective action by reducing disputes and enhancing collaboration among stakeholders. The co-development and use of empirical models for understanding the complexity of the physical system is combined with the use of role-playing games to ensure the active involvement of stakeholders. The approach is implemented in a top-down water quality planning process in Turkey. Results show its suitability for managing water quality in complex river basins in an inclusive manner and its substantial benefits in developing stakeholders’ capacities and creating a cooperative environment.

Depoliticisation and dissensus in the global partnership for education: rethinking the post-political condition

The political significance of multi-stakeholder partnerships has been widely discussed in the global governance literature. This paper takes issue with the undue optimism of the deliberative school of thought that has become dominant in the field. Yet, we also engage in dialogue with the assertion, stemming from representatives of our own theoretical camp, that a post-political condition is being consolidated worldwide. Informed by post-foundational political thought, the paper explores a multi-stakeholder arrangement for global governance of aid to education: the global partnership for education (GPE). Based on interviews with a wide range of stakeholders in the GPE, the paper makes an empirical contribution to a literature that typically operates at a more abstract level. Our findings point to the political dynamics that pervade this global governance arrangement. While it is obvious that the GPE comprises a range of post-political strategies, it is, at the same time, a venue for serious contestation. Hence, although it is imperative to critically expose strategies for depoliticisation in global governance, it is equally important to realise that post-political arrangements convey something more than merely post-politics. Ultimately, we argue that the ubiquitousness of such post-political arrangements only reaffirms that the ‘the political’ forms part of our ontological condition.

Exploring the Gaps in Practical Ethical Guidance for Animal Welfare Considerations of Field Interventions and Innovations Targeting Dogs and Cats.

Simple SummaryLarge populations of domestic dogs and cats are found living, or in close association with humans. They are often targeted by field interventions or innovations to enhance their welfare or to reduce conflict with communities or wildlife. Ethical review is a cornerstone of responsible engagement that aims to promote animal and human wellbeing. For the review process to be robust, identifying and understanding the ethical dilemmas that may be encountered when working with dogs and cats in field contexts, together with their human communities and in multi-stakeholder partnerships would be advantageous. We explored existing guidance from other disciplines (regulated animal research, veterinary and human clinical trials, and research conducted on wildlife) and identified gaps in ethical frameworks that do not adequately address the specific and practical needs of nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations, government agencies or independent researchers working with dogs and cats in field contexts. Navigating practical ethical concerns in complex, highly variable field contexts necessitates the development of additional resources that can better inform reliable ethical review processes, and subsequently enhance the humaneness and effectiveness of future interventions and innovations.Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis silvestris catus) are common species targeted by nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations, veterinarians and government agencies worldwide, for field interventions (e.g., population management, rabies vaccination programs) or innovations (e.g., development of technologies or pharmaceuticals to improve animal welfare). We have a moral responsibility to ensure that the conduct of this work is humane for dogs or cats, and to consider the human communities in which the animals live. Ethical review is widely accepted as being integral to responsible practice, and it is fundamental to good science that underpins innovation. Despite the necessity of field interventions or innovations to advance the welfare of individuals or populations of animals, we found a lack of specific guidance and review processes to help navigate ethical dilemmas surrounding the conduct of such work. This can be detrimental to the wellbeing of animals and their human communities. Here we identify the gaps in existing ethical frameworks (specifically application of Reduction and Refinement principles, challenges of obtaining meaningful informed consent with variations in the quality of human-animal relationships, and limited resources regarding considerations of local stakeholders), and outline the need for additional tools to promote ethical conduct in the field.

Multi-stakeholder partnerships in value chain development

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that agricultural commodity value chain development using multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) can fast-track improvement in the livelihoods of rural farming households. With the view that such partnerships can raise farmers’ incomes, the study uses the case of the organic pineapple (OP) value chain in Ntungamo, Western Uganda, to understand the governance features that hold the value chain partners together, to analyse the costs and margins to the participating farmers, to identify opportunities for demand-driven upgrading of the farmers’ skills and knowledge, and the role that partnerships play in such upgrading.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the qualitative tools of value chain analysis: value chain maps of stakeholders, processes and support services of the OP value chain, and a quantitative tool to analyse costs and margins to the participating farmers. Interviews were conducted with key informants from the OP innovation platform, and survey data collected for the planting season, February–July, 2014, across three farmer categories of certified organic, conventional, and farmers not participating in the innovation platform.FindingsCareful selection of partnerships to develop the value chain is found to be critical. Partners to involve should be those that enable the upgrading of farmers’ knowledge, skills and technologies to position them for better markets. Partners should also include those that enable the improvement of margins to the farmers and efficiency of the value chain. The strategic MSPs should be bound by formal contracts, to ensure stable relationships in the value chain and hence sustainable market access for the farmers.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough carried out on a specific value chain in a specific local context, this is not likely to limit the applicability of the findings to commodity value chains in a range of local contexts.Originality/valueThe study fulfils the need to highlight the role that stakeholder partnerships can play in value chain development and how they can be sustained by governance and institutional arrangements.

Partnerships for SDG 11 Implementation in Brazil: Understanding the Vulnerabilities and Common Interests from a Multi-Stakeholder Perspective

The success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require a great deal of coordination. Some measures can be adopted to improve the implementation of SDGs in a more integrative way. The seventeen goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 are integrated and indivisible and should be implemented based on global partnership. Considering that multi-stakeholder partnership can be a critical factor in achieving the goals, understanding the potential of collaboration between distinct stakeholders is an essential starting point for successful SDG implementation. In Brazil, a national strategy to implement the SDGs has already been launched and involves many challenges that need to be overcome. In this research, to get better knowledge of the ongoing implementation of SDG 11, “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,” a qualitative analysis was carried out to identify the major vulnerabilities and common interests for an integrated implementation of SDG 11 in Brazil. Data was collected through stakeholder interviews and document review. A total of thirty-three highly representative stakeholders were sampled purposively from six stakeholder’s categories: 1) National Government, 2) Business and Industry, 3) Non-Governmental Organizations, 4) Scientific and Technological Institutions, 5) Youth, and 6) UNDP Representative. Findings suggest that there are more trade-offs than synergies concerning the implementation of SDG 11 in Brazil. Also, governance structure, funding allocation, and social participation are key themes to be addressed by the Brazilian government to achieve better coordination and enhance the integrated implementation of SDG 11 in Brazil.

Creating Economic Value Through Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (Case Study on the Black Soybean Farmers Development Program of Unilever Indonesia)

This study examines the black soybean farmers development programme created by Unilever Indonesia (UI). These programmes was developed in collaboration with several stakeholders made up of scientists/university staff, non-government organisations (NGOs), financial institution, farmers, wives of farmers and cooperative. The programme basically aims to set up local black soybean production centres to assure a continuous supply of the main ingredients of Bango soy sauce, a flagship product of UI with a quantity, quality and price in accordance to the company's standards. This interpretive research study follows a post-positivist paradigm. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews of all the partners involved in the programme. Result of the study shows that the multi-stakeholder partnership created by Unilever was capable of creating positive economic value to all the partners and, at the same time, improving the quality of life of the farmers.

Digital health technologies to support access to medicines and pharmaceutical services in the achievement of sustainable development goals.

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to describe the conceptual and implementation approach of selected digital health technologies that were tailored in various resource-constrained countries. To provide insights from a donor-funded project implementer perspective on the practical aspects based on local context and recommendations on future directions.MethodsDrawing from our multi-year institutional experience in more than 20 high disease-burden countries that aspire to meet the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, we screened internal project documentation on various digital health tools that provide clarity in the conceptual and implementation approach. Taking into account geographic diversity, we provide a descriptive review of five selected case studies from Bangladesh (Asia), Mali (Francophone Africa), Uganda (East Africa), Mozambique (Lusophone Africa), and Namibia (Southern Africa).FindingsA key lesson learned is to harness and build on existing governance structures. The use of data for decision-making at all levels needs to be cultivated and sustained through multi-stakeholder partnerships. The next phase of information management development is to build systems for triangulation of data from patients, commodities, geomapping, and other parameters of the pharmaceutical system. A well-defined research agenda must be developed to determine the effectiveness of the country- and regional-level dashboards as an early warning system to mitigate stock-outs and wastage of medicines and commodities.ConclusionThe level of engagement with users and stakeholders was resource-intensive and required an iterative process to ensure successful implementation. Ensuring user acceptance, ownership, and a culture of data use for decision-making takes time and effort to build human resource capacity. For future United Nations voluntary national reviews, countries and global stakeholders must establish appropriate measurement frameworks to enable the compilation of disaggregated data on Sustainable Development Goal 3 indicators as a precondition to fully realize the potential of digital health technologies.

Creating economic value through multi-stakeholder partnership (case study on the black soybean farmers development programme of Unilever Indonesia)

This study examines the black soybean farmers development programme created by Unilever Indonesia (UI). These programmes was developed in collaboration with several stakeholders made up of scientists/university staff, non-government organisations (NGOs), financial institution, farmers, wives of farmers and cooperative. The programme basically aims to set up local black soybean production centres to assure a continuous supply of the main ingredients of Bango soy sauce, a flagship product of UI with a quantity, quality and price in accordance to the company's standards. This interpretive research study follows a post-positivist paradigm. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews of all the partners involved in the programme. Result of the study shows that the multi-stakeholder partnership created by Unilever was capable of creating positive economic value to all the partners and, at the same time, improving the quality of life of the farmers.

Knowledge and attitude toward eye donation among adults, Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based, cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND:In developing countries, the leading cause of childhood blindness is corneal scarring. Although the service of corneal transplantation depends on several factors, availability of potential donors is of paramount importance. Attitude of eligible donors is the main factor that affects corneal supply. However, limited data exist on eye donation. Hence, this study intended to assess the knowledge and attitude toward eye donation and its associated factors.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 adults aged ≥18 years selected using multistage systematic random sampling in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. A face-to-face structured questionnaire interview in home-to-home visit was applied to collect the data. Descriptive and analytical tests were performed. A binary logistic regression was fitted. Those variables with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.RESULTS:This study comprised 760 adults with a median age of 30 years. The proportion of overall level of good knowledge and favorable attitude toward eye donation was 8.4% and 59.9%, respectively. It has been also recognized that attitude was positively associated with educational level of high school (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–4.14) and college/university (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.53–4.89) and awareness (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.05–2.03).CONCLUSIONS:Although the overall level of knowledge about eye donation was poor, the proportion of favorable attitude toward eye donation was fair. Since it was associated with educational level and awareness, it is strategic to follow multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships and to motivate the people to donate their eyes.

Global Governance in Practice

AbstractWe argue that a focus on practices can enrich the study of global governance by drawing attention to a wealth of informal processes and their politics. After explaining the usefulness of a practice approach, we examine four pervasive practices in contemporary world politics: hosting a global conference, accrediting NGOs, mandating a group of experts, and forming multistakeholder partnerships. For each of these established ‘ways of doing things,’ we provide a definition, decline its variations, and analyze its politics. Through our case studies, we show that global governance practices often generate competing social effects, by which inclusionary trends combine with more exclusionary tendencies. This common dialectic of inclusion and exclusion provides an analytical key to better understand the politics of global public policy making, including its power dynamics.

Redefining Library and Information Science education and training in Zimbabwe to close the workforce skills gaps

The purpose of this study is to assess Library and Information Science (LIS) curricula in Zimbabwean universities and polytechnic colleges in the context of perceived skills gaps and from employers’ perspectives on what is required from graduate professionals in entry-level jobs. The study is qualitative in nature and is supported by a post-positivist framework. A case study research design and methods are used. All (three) curricular documents from two universities and polytechnic colleges (use a common curriculum) offering LIS education in Zimbabwe are reviewed using document review methods. Twenty-seven course outlines are analysed. Seventeen LIS employers and five deans/heads of departments have been purposively selected and interviewed using in-depth face-to-face interviews. Data are analysed using NVivo. The study identifies gaps in knowledge as well as in functional and generic employability training in LIS curricula. These are attributed to the transitory environment in which LIS departments operate, dated educational models, shortage of well-developed multi-stakeholder mutual partnerships and alliances, a lack of shared understanding and responsibility, an expanding labour environment and the absence of continuous professional development programmes. The study results suggest that Zimbabwean LIS education programmes are in urgent need of radical transformation and need to adopt innovative education models to meet the dictates of the techno-economic paradigm that serves society today.

Governing coastal risks as a social process—Facilitating integrative risk management by enhanced multi-stakeholder collaboration

Scientific literature calls for a shift from exclusively technical towards enhanced social processes in risk management to cope with the challenges of increased complex governance regimes wherein different interests of contrasting institutions need to be considered, balanced and negotiated. However, practical implementation of this integrative perspective is still a major challenge – underlined amongst others by the recently published Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.By proposing an Integrated Risk Management Approach (IRMA) we contribute to simplified conditions in the transfer from scientific debates into practical implementation. Looking in particular on coastal regions, IRMA focus the user’s view on the essential challenges in terms of enhanced multi-sectoral structures and improved social and flexible processes, as much as it gives advice on its methodical realization. Using our practical experiences in the trilateral Wadden Sea Region, we disclose IRMA’s contribution on enhanced consideration of historical framing, risk perceptions, risk awareness and enhanced multi-stakeholder participation. Multi-stakeholder participation, institutionalised in multi-stakeholder partnerships, makes an essential contribution towards enhanced collaborative processes between scientists, policy-makers and affected communities.

Implementasi Model Pendidikan Non Formal Berbasis Ketrampilan Agribisnis di Pusat Kegiatan Belajar Masyarakat (PKBM) Gita Gemilang dan PKBM Sukarakyat Kabupaten Garut

Socio-economic conditions in a community of Pasirwangi subdistrict is an agricultural area with the majority of the population generally as low-educated peasants. The education they had were only as students of elementary school and even the Dropped-Outs. They live below the poverty line. The problem dimensions of poverty dominantly occurs in the area concerning economic issues, education and health. One of the attempts to parse the poverty circle is by a means of giving Non-Formal Education (PNF) which is suitable with the condition of the target community. The management of PNF itself is implemented by PKBM . It is established and run by community leaders who are concerned about the condition of the surroundings. PKBM management and learning implemented generally yet refers to a standard quality that has been set. Learning undertaken is to prepare for the equality test only. During this time, there are no skills given to learners. This makes PNF even worse. Thus, based on these conditions, PNF model agribusiness skills-based is one of the alternatives to improve the education quality and family productivity of the peasants. The purpose of this research is to solve the problems of quality improvement on the PNF as well as to increase society’s welfare. The results can be utilized for the benefit of both society and the institutions of PNF, e.g. PKBM. The program implementation strategy is a social engineering through multi-stakeholder partnership for improving PNF quality based on partnership principles, PKBM empowerment and active participation from stakeholders in a sustainable manner.

Multistakeholder partnerships in global nutrition governance: protecting public interest?

Multistakeholder partnerships in global nutrition governance: protecting public interest?

Sustainable Water Management in the Tourism Economy: Linking the Mediterranean’s Traditional Rainwater Cisterns to Modern Needs

Communities on islands with mass-tourism, like Santorini, rely on vast quantities of water to develop the local economy. Today’s inhabitants of Santorini have largely abandoned the traditional cisterns that were used to sustain the island’s pre-modern civilizations in favor of water obtained from desalinization, ship deliveries, and well withdrawals. In June 2016, Cornell University researchers worked with the Water and Sewage Authority of Thera (DEYATH) to assess the viability of improving sustainability and water efficiency by restoring traditional rainwater harvesting and storage cisterns. The team surveyed five cisterns, held meetings with water authority staff and mayoral leadership, conducted interviews with local tourism stakeholders, and coordinated with Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean. One conclusion was that cisterns could be rehabilitated as decentralized storage reservoirs and integrated into the island’s centralized water systems, or alternatively, serve as educational and cultural spaces used to communicate the importance of water to residents and tourists. The research findings highlight how multi-stakeholder partnerships could assist local authorities with developing new water management initiatives to foster more sustainable models of tourism development.

How private meta-governance helps standard-setting partnerships deliver

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the relevance of private meta-governance for multi-stakeholder partnerships. The authors assume that meta-governance, defined as higher level rules that shall guide partnerships’ governance activities, could build on and institutionalize lessons learned about partnerships’ success conditions and, in doing so, may render partnerships’ work more effective in the future.Design/methodology/approachThe research paper investigates a case of non-state meta-governance in the standard-setting arena. It explores how actors assess the interaction of the meta-governance efforts of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling (ISEAL) Alliance (mainly in the form of their three Codes of Good Practice) and the Alliance for Water Stewardship’s efforts when setting and implementing their International Water Stewardship Standard. For this, a combination of research methods is applied: a literature review for deriving propositions on success conditions; document analysis, participatory observation and semi-structured interviews for gathering empirical evidence on the interaction between meta-governance and the partnership’s work.FindingsRespondents praise the benefits of ISEAL’s enabling meta-governance measures to strengthen their standard, structures and processes, as well as from ensuring activities, as these also improve their internal governance system while simultaneously providing credibility. In this context, they confirm the relevance of three success factors mentioned in the literature on voluntary standards: an inclusive process, a locally adapted design of the standard and institutionalized compliance management.Practical implicationsInstead of reinventing the wheel with every new multi-stakeholder partnership, meta-governance frameworks should be used to enable partnership staff and members, policymakers and stakeholders to learn from experience.Originality/valueThe authors’ analysis generates unique insights into perceptions of partnerships’ staff and stakeholders regarding lessons learned and private meta-governance. The present study on these actors’ perspectives provides a starting-point for further research on how meta-governance could help institutionalize success factors to scale-up and improve the impact of standard-setting partnerships.