Transformational Collaboration for the SDGs: The Alianza Shire’s Work to Provide Energy Access in Refugee Camps and Host Communities

Abstract

The potential for achieving transformation through partnerships is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, information on experiences that explore the processes that might generate systemic change is generally lacking. This article uses the Collaborative Value Creation (CVC) framework to analyze the transformational prospects of the Alianza Shire, the first multi-stakeholder partnership for humanitarian action in Spain. The partnership, which aims to develop innovative energy access solutions in refugee camps situated in the Shire region of northern Ethiopia is assessed from its creation in 2014 to the present with regard to four key partnership features: organizational engagement, resources and activities, partnership dynamics and impact. Our findings suggest that while the CVC framework is a useful tool for analyzing the evolution of a partnership to a transformative phase, additional information is required on the important role played by a partnership facilitator in assisting this process. This inquiry aims to build upon the CVC analysis by identifying and addressing some of the barriers faced by the Alianza Shire and other partnerships in attaining transformational outcomes and proposing two key enablers that can assist progression towards this: a facilitating organization that ensures the creation of collaborative shared value and an aspirational strategy for achieving significant systemic change.

An Inclusive Approach to Partnerships for the SDGs: Using a Relationship Lens to Explore the Potential for Transformational Collaboration

“…These connections have different core objectives, ranging from fulfilment of a concrete task to working towards a longer-term shared goal which may focus on capacity-building, behavioral or policy level change [33,42] which are, in turn, also overlaid by diverse geographical, disciplinary, sectoral and thematic foci. Some examples of the many thematic or disciplinary fields in which we have encountered the promotion of partnerships include: international relations [120,121], international development [63,82,93], humanitarian assistance [19,122,123], disaster risk reduction [124,125], climate change [126][127][128], sustainable development [26,44,104,107,129], health and social care [130][131][132], employment [75,133,134] policing [135], medicine and law [136], and access to basic services such as energy, water, etc. [19,32,137,138].…”

“…On a broader level, these tendencies suggest that collaboration among both individuals and organizations within and between workplaces, families, communities, countries and regions is increasingly needed [13,17], not just to address the complex or 'wicked' problems at the heart of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [18,19] but also to mitigate impediments to their transformational aspiration to "leave no one behind" [20,21].…”

“…Furthermore, these classification exercises focus primarily on organizational and structural relationships and most pay limited attention to the individual, relational and process dimensions that these initiatives involve. The premise of this paper is that personal relationships and dynamics are central to the organizational connections that form the basis of partnerships, and that acknowledgement of this aspect can promote a more inclusive approach to partnerships for the SDGs that, through shifts in individual and organizational behaviors, will enhance their possibilities for achieving systemic change [19,38].…”

Cross-Sector Partnerships for Sustainability: How Mission-Driven Conveners Drive Change in National Coffee Platforms

“…CSPs are believed to be well suited to address complex sustainability challenges that are the shared responsibility of different societal sectors [4] and involving a variety of actors. Moreover, CSPs are considered to have transformative potential towards the SDGs [17,44]. In the practice of supply chain sustainability, the focus of NPOs has also broadened, from promoting certification to stimulating organizations to collaborate with them in CSPs, including multiple actors from business, nonprofit and/or government sectors to address common sustainability issues in their supply chains [37,40,45].…”

“…Moreover, how mission-driven conveners balance their ambiguous role-i.e., facilitating a complex set of stakeholders while having their own objectives and agendas as well-has not been adequately explained in the literature on 'regular' convening discussed above. Nonetheless, understanding such questions is of significance given the important role mission-driven conveners can play in the realization of the SDGs, and SDG 17, in particular [17,44]. In response to this need, we examine this mission-driven convener, set in the context of sustainable coffee.…”