Making Partnerships Work:International lessons in the practice of community-university research partnerships

Joanna Ochocka (CCBR) – Moderator

Nirmala Lall (University of Victoria): International Partnership

Katherine Graham (Carleton University)– Local Partnership

CUExpo May 2011

The Sub-Saharan Africa Participatory Research Network (REPAS) Community University Partnership Programme (Univ. Brighton)Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex)Centro Boliviano de Estudios Multidisciplinarios (CEBEM)

 

Global Alliance for Community-Engaged Research (GACER) - International Comparative Research Project Strengthening Knowledge Strategies for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development: a global study on community-university research partnerships

University of Victoria, University of Carleton and University of Quebec - Montreal

Society of Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)The Living Knowledge Network (LKN Europe)

Canadian Leadership

Existing Global Partners

Municipalities in the province of Velasco: San Ignacio, San

Miguel and San Rafael, Spanish Co-operation - Technical Office

in Bolivia, Centro Boliviano de Estudios Multidisciplinarios

(CEBEM, or the Bolivian Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies),

University of Córdoba (Spain) and Carleton University (Canada)

• Forest development project in the Chiquitania region was formally identified in 2003

• Started in 2004; Methodological Development and Systemisation Phase 2006; Completion 2007

Bolivia Small Forest Producers in the Chiquitania region

Making Partnerships Work: Partners

http://www.bosquesmodelo.net/english/articleDetail.aspx?idArticle=2141

BackgroundSmall Forest Producers in the Chiquitania region

• Precious woods are products of high value that can be acquired from communities through local intermediaries at very low prices. Timber buyers acquire timber from people and communities through a system of loans and exchanges that often disadvantages small producers

Bolivia: Co-operation in the forestry sector

Source: World Wildlife Fund Bolivia

• Small Forest Producers in the Chiquitania region• Intermediaries rather than small producers themselves were the principal beneficiaries of international support.

• Small producers in the region requested, through their municipal governments, support from the Spanish Co-operation (major funder along with Prefecture of Santa Cruz, Velasco Province, Cordoba University and Carleton University

• Question arose as to how to ensure that international co-operation/support would be helpful in generating higher and more sustainable incomes for families from the most disadvantaged groups, socially and economically.

Bolivia: Co-operation in the forestry sector

• Forest engineering, by itself, proved insufficient to develop actions in such a highly complex situation (market actors, environmental movements, international relations, global consumers )

• Key success factor: Start research from the point of dialogue considering two concepts as far apart as forestry and social research

• Small Forest Producers in the Chiquitania region

Making Partnerships WorkLesson related to determining a starting point

• First phase, mid-2004, formulation of the basis for the research approach and funding; progress in improving living standards of the target population was barely perceptible

• End of 2004, the project received further technical assistance; research work was combined with the coordinating role of the project

• Uncertain how to get actors and their communities of interest to respond

Small Forest Producers in the Chiquitania region

Making Partnerships Work Lessons related to Structure

• Situation changed in early 2006; project began to operate as a business

• Striking results regarding the interests of beneficiaries; gave the project the necessary impetus to carry out its social strategy; movement to systematise a model

• Project moved from a general assessment of community forestry management to a single study case

• Geographical scope of the project was restricted (to municipalities of San Ignacio, San Miguel and San Rafael de Velasco)

Making Partnerships Work Lessons related to Structure

• Mutual trust already existed between communities and CEBEM team; CEBEM previously worked with all agencies involved

• Institutional coordination undertaken by the Natural Resources Directorate of the Prefecture of the Department of Santa Cruz

• At a national level, activities were coordinated by the Vice-Ministry of Biodiversity, Forest Resources and Environment

• Management unit in the area established to manage the project and coordinate technical assistance. Collaborative research coordination for social action established in this unit

Making Partnerships WorkLessons related to Coordination

• Constant need to exchange information and knowledge from a distance; overcome by using online tools in CEBEM’s Forestry Development Platform (http://www.desarrolloforestal.org)

• Need to find a common language between different knowledge communities – Tools used relied on symbols and diagrams and SAS2 (Social Analysis Systems Software)

• Later in the project involvement included funding for capitalizing actual knowledge regarding community forestry through online platforms: University of Cordoba, Carleton University and IDRC worked on the International Social Analysis Systems (SAS2) project.

Making Partnerships WorkLessons related to Technology

• External assistance was sought for knowledge regarding forestry, business, law and development co-operation

• Everyday knowledge of the local project participants

• Outcome: Dialogue between knowledge systems and the interests involved in the community forestry process, allowed the collaborative research process to become gradually more advanced.

Making Partnerships Work Lessons related to Knowledge

Making Partnerships Work:International lessons in the practice of community-university research partnerships

Katherine Graham (Carleton University)– Local Partnership

The Batawa Story

CUExpoMay 2011