EveryChild who work with partner organisations in 14 countries to stop children growing up vulnerable and alone are currently piloting a Partnership Review Tool.  This is a draft version which they will be piloting with their partners in the coming months.  It will then be revised based on feedback from them partners later this year.

The Keystone Partner Survey Report published in Jan 2011 summarises the findings of partner surveys carried out by Keystone on behalf of 25 ‘northern NGOs’.   The survey creates comparative data for the first time about the way partner agencies feel about their relationships with ‘northern NGOs’.  Its authors find that the collection of such data could and should provide a new standard for the sector and that what ‘southern NGOs’ want, most of all is support to become ‘strong, independent and influential’ in their own right.

In this 2010 BOND study on Approaches to Partnership Anna Stobart surveys 22 agencies in the UK about their approach to partnership and identifies a number of recommendations for improvement including a) measuring the quality of partnerships b) ensuring clarity about roles, responsibilities and accountability c) better development and measurement of capacity building and d) developing partner skills.

An article by Robin Vincent and Alisha Bryne published in Development in Practice which considers how different types and qualities of partnership affect learning.  It highlights the challenges and the opportunities which partnership working offer.  They conclude that ‘the practical experience and insights that NGOs bring to this challenge will determine the future shape of development as a whole’.

Autonomy or Dependence? A piece of research by Vicky Mancuso Brehm, published by INTRAC which makes recommendations on how Northern NGOs should manage partnerships and some recommendations about ways of working together that move beyond funding alone.

This article, by Tina Wallace and Jennifer Chapman and published by Intrac looks at the stated commitment of donors and UK NGOs to being accountable to local people and  the reality where the donors continue to dominate particularly through the use of strict policies and procedures based on a mind-set which makes real downwards accountability unlikely and re-enforces the power of the donor.