[This story is part of our collection on transforming research collaboration. It highlights efforts and challenges in reimagining partnerships for greater equity, with a focus on strengthening Southern-led approaches to research.]

The Africa Learning together to advance Evidence and Equity in Policymaking for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals partnership (LEEPS) centres the expertise of African partner organisations that are funded flexibly to support the capacity and evidence needs of policy-makers and strengthen systems to improve decision-making processes for better development outcomes in Africa.

Lessons from a First Initiative 

Launched in October 2023, the partnership builds on several key lessons from the Partnership for Evidence and Equity in Responsive Social Systems (PEERSS). While LEEPS is Africa-focused, PEERSS (2018-2023) was a global partnership that similarly brought together research and knowledge translation organisations across several regions to collaborate in advancing the use of evidence in policy and practice, focusing on strengthening social systems. In this context, this story is written from the lens and perspective of Results for Development (R4D), formerly the coordinating organisation for PEERSS and currently the learning and engagement coordinator for Africa LEEPS. It aims to illustrate our approach to mitigating power imbalances in partnerships.

When R4D stepped into the coordinating role for PEERSS in 2020, we invested significant time and effort at the outset, working closely with partner organisations to create a shared governance framework for transparent decision-making, inclusive participation, and co-creation across all aspects of the partnership, from branding and publications policy to strategic planning. By taking this critical first step to build a shared understanding of how we hoped to work together and our respective roles, we aimed to clearly signal to partner organisations that this was their partnership to lead. Our role was to facilitate, connect, synthesise. and amplify accomplishments and emerging lessons. While it sometimes felt like we were spending too much time on process, this upfront investment in defining roles and building transparent processes together helped lay the foundation for a truly collaborative partnership.

In PEERSS, we prioritised community building to foster trust and create a foundation for open dialogue and rich learning and exchange. We created intentional spaces and designed activities to connect and learn more about each other, virtually or in person. These efforts led to strong and collaborative relationships that have outlived PEERSS. As time went on, the trust we gained from partner organisations helped us securely settle into our role as the coordinating organisation, listening deeply, providing responsive support, and creating dynamic, inclusive spaces for learning, knowledge exchange, and partnership-level strategic discussions. We leaned into our role of convener and facilitator and invited continuous feedback from partner organisations to help us better meet their needs.

We observed the context-dependent nature of evidence-informed policy-making in the work of partner organisations. With their expertise, trusted relationships, and deep understanding of context, they were best positioned to provide tailored, timely, and responsive evidence-informed policy-making support that governments need, whether through capacity-strengthening workshops, evidence briefs, or stakeholder dialogues. As technical experts and leaders, partner organisations supported each other through mutual learning and collaboration to solve problems and build new skills. We valued the wealth of expertise within our community, where the agency to identify learning priorities and the type of support needed rested with the partner organisations, with the R4D team providing assistance in brokering connections.

Carrying Forward What We Learned from PEERSS to Africa LEEPS

Building together

We drew on our experience in PEERSS when R4D was invited to serve in a similar role in the new follow-on Africa LEEPs partnership.

At the start, we committed to building Africa LEEPS together with partner organisations, supporting co-creation in all aspects. This included defining country-level activities, reflecting together on the partnership structure and the most helpful ways R4D could provide support, creating a shared governance framework that clearly articulated roles and responsibilities, and defining our mission and vision.

Together with the Africa LEEPS funders – the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH – we created a two-stage funding call designed to invite ideas about all aspects of the partnership, including its structure and country-level activities, which could later be refined in a co-creation workshop for final candidates. We wanted their perspectives on the biggest constraints to advancing evidence use in Africa and their ideas for addressing these challenges. The goal was for the partner organisations’ expertise, contextual understanding, and insights to guide the direction of the partnership.

Valuing evidence-to-policy contributions

Together with the Africa LEEPS funding partners, we also worked to ensure sufficient and equitable funding (within available parameters) to support the messy and iterative nature of policy engagement work, offering flexibility for partner organisations to identify issues or policy areas based on current or emerging priorities. Through PEERSS, we had observed how change in leadership, civil unrest, or other contextual elements influenced country-level evidence priorities and recognised the importance of supporting and valuing partner organisations’ work in a way that aligns with on-the-ground realities.  

Clarity on roles and responsibilities 

In Africa LEEPS, R4D serves as the learning and engagement coordinator, while key decisions ­– both at the technical and partnership level – are made by the partner organisations. Technical capacity strengthening and policy engagement activities are notably led by the Centre d’Excellence Evidence Policy Action established by the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED), the East African Regional Evidence Synthesis Initiative established by the Centre for Rapid Evidence Synthesis (ACRES), and the Alliance for Evidence and Equity in Policy-Making in Africa established by the African Institute for Policy Development (AFIDEP). Each consortium receives funding directly from IDRC allowing them to build their own relationships with funding partners and helping to mitigate power imbalances in our relationships with them. This structure ensures that evidence outputs are informed by the deep contextual understanding of the partner organisations that are directly invested in achieving policy outcomes. We remain intentionally and comfortably in the same backseat we held in PEERSS, with African organisations leading country-level evidence and knowledge translation activities.

Finally, in line with our understanding of our position in Africa LEEPS, we have reflected on how best to describe our role. In PEERSS, we were the coordinating organisation, but this descriptor felt vague and potentially implied reporting or management hierarchies. The title “learning and engagement coordinator” better describes the role we play in Africa LEEPS today – facilitating and convening virtual and in-person knowledge exchange, bridging global and regional insights to enhance evidence use, harnessing shared lessons, and communicating the partnership’s work. Our commitment to embracing our role as a connector and centring the leadership of our partners requires ongoing reflection to ensure alignment with their priorities and vision, and we remain prepared to do just that.

 

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