Research Partnerships: Mutual Learning and Information Sharing Partnerships

Research into Child-Headed Households (CHH) in Zambia is being conducted in partnership with local Zambian organisations. Indeed, since the research began in 2004, it has followed a model of increasing involvement with NGOs and CBOs including both those based within the actual communities in which the research is focussed. This process of increasing involvement by civil society organisations ‘on the ground’ has seen local organisations move from acting as research ‘gatekeepers’, providing contacts within selected research communities but with minimal input into the research agenda, to their involvement as research ‘partners’ with more influence in terms of the direction and activities of research, exercised through meetings, focus group discussions, email correspondence and a workshops.

During the early stages of the research, all research partners acted more as ‘gatekeepers’, providing assistance for the research, and receiving regular feedback, but with limited involvement in the research process itself. With time, gatekeepers have gradually become more involved with the research so that they have taken on more of a partnership role in the research, increasingly giving their input into research agenda.

The research began with one gatekeeper in 2004 and this has since grown to three Grassroots Research Partners and three Intermediary Research Partners which span Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt Provinces. Grassroots Research Partners are smaller NGOs working on the ground in communities which have been selected as research sites for this project. They, therefore, have a good understanding of the problems and needs of these communities. The Intermediary Research Partners are larger NGOs which work to link donors and their own partner organisations at the grassroots as well as variously doing direct implementation themselves, such as direct assistance, capacity building and networking. The agenda behind forming partnerships with local organisations runs alongside the methodology of action research in which the learning process and benefits of the research come not only through ‘outcomes’ (e.g. learning through feedback of research findings), but also through involvement in the research process itself (e.g. learning through use of various research methodologies). Thus, it is hoped that such collaboration will ensure the benefits of the research at the community level.

It is hoped that all research partners, alongside established Core Community Groups (CCGs), comprised of political, religious, traditional/cultural and community service leaders and other research participants, will take an active role in feedback programmes (2008) which will be aimed at encouraging the research communities themselves to initiate the development of policy and programme interventions with CHHs which will encompass and reflect both the research methodologies used and the findings after data analysis has been completed. Consequently, this partnership does not (at least at this stage) involve any financial incentive for the partners. Rather, it is about mutual learning and information sharing as part of a research process, adding rigour to this by ensuring the research agenda remains close to the needs of both the communities and those organisations working within them.

Research Stakeholders in Zambia:

To see profiles of the Research Partners, click on the links below:

Grassroots Research Partners:
New RENATO Community Society (RENATO), Kashitu – research partner since 2005
Friends of the Street Children (FoSC), Kitwe – research partner since 2005
Children in Crisis, Lusaka – research partner since 2005

Intermediary Research Partners
Children’s Desk, Catholic Diocese of Ndola, Ndola – research partner since 2005
RAINBOW Project, Ndola – research partner since 2006
Copperbelt Health Education Project (CHEP), Kitwe – research partner since 2006