This page is here to give a brief explanation of any terms that may be unfamiliar. If there are other terms you’d like explained, please do contact me.

Partnership Practice – the way that partnerships are practiced, in other words the ways in which they are approached and actioned

INGO and NGO – (International) Non Government Organisation.  Usually a non-governmental and non corporate organisations which is working elsewhere other than, or in addition to, its country of registration

“many practitioners have not paid sufficient attention to what ‘good partnership working’ actually entails” – Practitioners here refers to people in the practice of doing international development work.  It refers to those engaging in ‘doing’ rather than thinking or researching alone.

Local Partners – in the context of the work of INGOs ‘local partners’, often a pre-requisite of donor funding, refers to organisations who are working are local to the country or region in which a project or programme is delivered and partner with an INGO as part of the deliver of that work

Donors – while the term donor can mean anyone donating resources here, it refers most often to agencies who give substantial funds to international development work usually using a public application process of some sort for at least some of their giving

International Development Sector – refers to the work of people and organisations seeking to contribute towards the broadest goals of human development.  Development, as distinct from ‘aid’ usually refers to work with the aim of creating longer term change

DFID – Department for International Development, a department of the British Government www.dfid.gov.uk

MOU – Memorandum of Understanding, an agreement made between organisations who are working in Partnership

BOND – Bond is the UK membership body for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in international development www.bond.org.uk