The Collaboration Code Report identified that integrating regular ‘self-checks’ can help us all achieve the kind of authentic collaboration we desire. Tools that support this reflective practice can encourage the development of organisational cultures that are more open to critique and learning and help shine light on practices that perpetuate power imbalances between CSOs. The underlying assumption is that if partners have a better understanding of how power works, they will be in a better position to work towards shifting power dynamics and develop more cooperative, inclusive, and responsive ways of working together.
This resource is an invitation to practise internal assessment and action planning about how we work together. Understanding that each collaboration opportunity and context are unique, it is not prescriptive; however, it provides practical reflection points around how partnerships are conceived, implemented, and mediated. It will help you think through, and clearly articulate, how the IFEX Collaboration Principles are being integrated (or not) in the context of a specific collaboration opportunity.
It is composed of two checklists that can be used together or independently.
- Have you been invited to join a collaboration opportunity? Use the Checklist for Partners.
- Are you leading or facilitating a collaboration opportunity? Use the Checklist for Initiators.
The two checklists have been developed to be simple and efficient to use, so that they can be revisited at different stages of a partnership cycle. In the creation of new partnerships, they can be used to design structures and processes that promote more balanced power relations; for partnerships that are already underway, the tool can be used to make power imbalances more visible and concrete, helping partners catalyse complex conversations.
While there is a tendency for Global North organisations to exercise a dominant role in their relationships with organisations from the Global Majority, this approach acknowledges that the exercise of power is also dynamic and may evolve over time. That is why the checklists are structured around two roles that any organisation may play in any collaboration initiative or opportunity, preventing the reinforcement of predefined stereotypes. Additionally, in some cases projects are started by two or more organisations under a joint agreement, and that in these cases there isn’t a single organisation taking the lead and approaching others. In such cases, we recommend using a combination of the two checklists. While some of the questions overlap, the intention is to reflect on the unique levers available to each role to advance our commitment towards solidarity, connection, and cooperation.