Towards fair and effective North–South collaboration: realising a programme for demand-driven and locally led research

Abstract

BackgroundAt the turn of the 90s, studies showed that health research contributed little to health and development in low- and middle-income countries because it was oriented towards international priorities and dominated by researchers from the North. A new approach to North–South collaboration was required that would support demand-driven and locally led research in the South. The aim of this study was to analyse the development and functioning of a programme for demand-driven and locally led research in Ghana that was supported by a North–South collaboration.MethodsFor this mixed-method case study, we combined document analysis, key informant interviews and observation of programme events.ResultsThe development of the research programme started with constructing a sponsorship constellation in the Netherlands. After highlighting the problems with traditional research collaboration, an advisory council formulated a vision for a more equal and effective approach to North–South collaboration. Together with Ghanaian partners, this vision was turned into a proposal for a Ghanaian-led programme for demand-driven and locally led research, which was funded by the Netherlands government. Research priority setting showed that the Ghanaian research needs were very different from the priorities of foreign funders and researchers. After a slow start, the number of locally submitted proposals increased from 13 in 2001 to 94 in 2005, revealing the existence of a substantial, but partly latent reservoir of research capacity. In total, 79 studies were funded. An impact evaluation showed that the results of the majority of the studies were used to contribute to action. Despite its success, the research programme came to an end in 2008 after the sponsorship constellation in the Netherlands fell apart.ConclusionOur study shows that realising a programme for demand-driven and locally led research in the South provides an effective approach to North–South collaboration in which results are used and local capacities and institutions are strengthened.

‘I am not only beneficial to the community but to the entire country, I am trained as a researcher now’. Developing health research skills in low-income countries: the power of a North-South-South partnership

“…North-South partnerships have been criticized for being unsustainable in terms of the bene ts of the partnership itself and the resources provided [2], and this was a concern for the GROWNUT partnership. However, because KSPH was at the forefront of decision-making about resources required and sustainability was a strong consideration throughout, there will be continued bene t to KSPH.…”

“…Health research partnerships between higher education institutions (HEI) from countries in the global North and the global South have received increased attention in the literature over recent years [1][2][3][4]. Lowand middle-income countries (LMIC) suffer from a high burden of public health and nutrition challenges, yet these countries often have limited resources and research capacity to address these burdens [5,6].…”

“…Crane (2010) suggested that these partnerships often create an intellectual dependency of the south to the North, making it di cult for low-income countries to continue on their own without the partnership [8]. The North usually has control of funding, research activities, and reporting of research ndings, with the danger that partners in the South have sometimes been reduced to the role of data collectors [2,9]. However, according to Stern and Green, good partnerships based on commitment between partners, mutual trust, equal ownership, and common goals among the partners, can have wide ranging bene ts for all partner institutions [10].…”

Realist evaluations in low- and middle-income countries: reflections and recommendations from the experiences of a foreign researcher

“…Ebenso et al .’s recent work highlights how embedding a realist evaluation within existing Ministry of Health policies and practice facilitated collaboration between researchers and in-country policymakers and implementers 24. Involving such collaborators across all stages of the realist evaluation ensured study relevance and contextual significance,24 which could also contribute to the uptake of findings 39…”

A North-South-South Partnership in Higher Education to Develop Health Research Capacity in the Democratic Republic of Congo: the Challenge of Finding a Common Language

“…To address this challenge, partnerships have been established between higher education institutions (HEIs) in northern hemisphere high-income countries (HIC) and southern low-income counterparts to build or strengthen research capacity in the low-income country [2][3][4]. These partnerships, known as North-South partnerships, have been successful in training researchers and improving academic leadership in low income countries [5,6]. However, language barriers frequently exist between partners, and the choice of language of instruction may be a challenge to effective implementation of North-South partnerships.…”