Application of a Partnership Model for Transformative and Sustainable International Development

Abstract

There are differences of intent and impact between short-term and long-term engagement of U.S. academic institutions with communities of need in developing nations. Global health programs that produce long-term transformative change rather than transient relief are more likely to be sustainable and in ethical harmony with expressed needs of a region or community. This article explores characteristics of successful ethical partnerships in global health and the challenges that threaten them, introducing a consensus community engagement model as a framework for building relationships, evolving an understanding of needs, and collaboratively developing solutions and responses to priority health needs in underserved regions of the world. The community engagement model is applied to a case study of an initiative by a U.S. school of nursing to establish long-term relationships with the nursing community in the Caribbean region with the goal of promoting transformative change through collaborative development of programs and services addressing health care needs of the region's growing elderly population and the increasing prevalence of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Progress of this ongoing long-term relationship is analyzed in the context of the organizational, philosophical, ethical, and resource commitments embodied in this approach to initiation of transformative and sustainable improvements in public health.

Global Host Partner Perspectives: Utilizing a Conceptual Model to Strengthen Collaboration with Host Partners for International Nursing Student Placements

“…At the policy level, the importance of transparency, shared decision making and mutual trust are foundational for effective collaboration and capacity‐building. Global field schools that build upon established, relational partnerships provide an opportunity to produce “long‐term transformative change” (Powell, Gilliss, Hewitt, & Flint, , p. 54). Community engagement and consultation grounds the partnership and enables for clarification of approaches and outcomes.…”

A Framework for Sustainable Implementation of E-Medicine in Transitioning Countries

“…Prerequisites for such change include a long-term commitment to system reform and resource development. Partnerships focused on capacity building can serve as important resources for the needed change [17]. Sustainability is the capacity of programs to continuously respond to community issues and maintenance of focus on set goals.…”

Managing the Demand for Global Health Education

“…Structured partnerships with devoted human resources and infrastructure foster integrative, supervised exchanges, which may help mitigate some of the intangible costs of volunteerism [47],[48]. The KFPE endorses the idea that not only the outcomes of research should be valued, but also the interaction between scientists and the public and how research impacts everyday life [50].…”