Institutional Learning and Change Initiative

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Abstract:

The agenda-setting process represents a formidable obstacle for many development research partnerships. The literature on North-South research cooperation often laments the continued domination of collaborative agendas by the interests of Northern donors and scholars, and almost invariably calls for more equitable Southern engagement in agenda-setting processes. Yet the implications of this statement and the obstacles to its realization are rarely examined in detail. As a modest response to this gap, the first section of this paper examines how bilateral donor strategies affect collaborative agenda-setting processes, focusing on the approaches adopted by the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It argues that donor policies definitively shape agenda-setting processes, chiefly by requiring Southern researchers to partner with Northern counterparts in order to receive support. The experiences of the Netherlands and the UK demonstrate that revamping bilateral donors' funding policies can potentially improve Southern researchers' ability to influence North-South research agendas, and diversify access to collaborative funding opportunities. However, even the most innovative partnership funding strategies cannot resolve all of the tensions and inequalities that characterize collaborative agenda-setting processes. The second section explores researchers' motivations for entering into North-South partnerships; the obstacles Southern researchers encounter in agenda-setting processes; and the strategies they employ to ensure that research partnerships respond to their concerns. This analysis suggests that while strong Southern research organizations are best placed to maximize the benefits of collaboration, many of the organizations entering into partnerships lack a clear sense of their own priorities and other key institutional capacities critical to successful agenda negotiations. Although North-South partnerships can augment individual and institutional resources and skills, they are not a panacea for all the challenges associated with capacity-building and the creation and utilization of knowledge for development. Donors and researchers alike are therefore well-advised to recognize the limitations of this approach and use it prudently, as North-South partnerships are not necessarily the best way to advance research agendas rooted in Southern priorities.