What we have learnt from collaborating in a North-South partnership. Danida Fellowship Centre and MS TCDC share their experiences.
By Vibeke Quaade
In 2022, MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre formed a partnership that we named “Together for Impact”, with the aim of learning from each other.
Danida Fellowship Centre is based in Denmark and develops learning programmes primarily for policymakers, and public and private sector practitioners from Denmark’s official partners in the Global South, while MS TCDC is based in Tanzania and focuses on capacity development for social transformation, with a particular emphasis on empowering African youth leaders and civil society organisations.
Although the organisations are located in different parts of the world and cater for different target audiences, we both offer transformative learning programmes and together we bring over 100 years of experience to the partnership.
The aim of the partnership is to strengthen both institutions by drawing on our respective areas of expertise for the benefit of our target groups, and to foster a North-South collaboration that ensures that the knowledge shared with participants is not only relevant but that it will also be practically applied, ultimately having a lasting impact.
Three years on, many activities have been successfully completed, benefiting thousands of participants. The question is what have our two organisations learned so far?
A group of staff representing both organisations, namely Doris N. Likwelile, Catherine Mossi, Ana Haule, Cecilie Rude and Vibeke Quaade, met online late on a February afternoon to discuss their experiences. During the conversation, we identified five key benefits and five key challenges in their North-South partnership to share with others.
Five key benefits
- Mutual learning and growth – learning methodologies
As learning institutions, we have found our partnership to be a valuable learning experience, allowing us to share knowledge, learn from one another, and adopt elements of each other’s methodologies—despite our different priorities. While Danida Fellowship Centre originally prioritised organisational reflection and learning within the partnership to ensure the continuous delivery of high quality and impactful programmes, MS TCDC had a stronger focus on practical project and programme implementation. This has created a dynamic that enables both learning and the development of real-world applications. We have built on each other’s strengths and continuously refined our approaches to learning. The common space we have established for exchanging and developing methodologies has become a defining feature of our collaboration.
- Strengthened strategic communication
The collaboration between the communication teams at MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre has greatly enhanced our storytelling and the reach of our work. By working closely together, sharing human resources, and co-creating content and engagement activities, our partnership has strengthened the strategic direction of both organisations. This is especially true in terms of sharing knowledge and skills within our shared network, allowing us to communicate learning insights through storytelling to a wider audience that now includes both young leaders and Danida affiliated professionals. As a result, we have seen a significant increase in knowledge communication across newsletters, social platforms, videos and podcasts, thereby boosting our outreach.
- Digital learning together: New territory
Creating engaging digital learning approaches and courses is a continuous journey, a journey on which we will continue to learn and grow together. Our partnership came at a time when both our organisations were eager to increase our focus on digital learning to strengthen our programmes – and reach a wider audience. The establishment of our partnership provided the perfect opportunity to kick-start the process together. Developing engaging and effective digital content is a discipline in itself, and we are still navigating its complexities. Through our joint efforts, we are learning and improving how to engage both learners and trainers more effectively online.
- Leveraging networks and expertise
MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre serve distinct target groups, MS TCDC focuses on young and aspiring leaders, while Danida Fellowship Centre caters to professionals at a more senior level. Our partnership has allowed us to leverage each other’s networks and expertise, broadening our reach and accessing resources, something that might not have been possible otherwise. For instance, some of Danida Fellowship Centre’s learning programmes are now being run as MS TCDC training courses. The partnership has also enabled both our organisations to collaborate and co-create programmes that are greater than the sum of their parts. An example of this is the “More Women in Research” initiative that brought together academic professionals and young aspiring leaders during MS TCDC’s flagship “YouLead Africa” summit. This collaboration demonstrates how working closely together can lead to innovative solutions that resonate with diverse audiences.
- Learning to work in a North-South partnership
Our partnership has taught us that strong collaboration does not happen overnight. It takes time to build a culture of trust and mutual respect, to collaborate creatively, and to innovate without fear of criticism or overstepping boundaries. While we would not claim to have reached the end goal, we are certainly making good progress. Along the way, we have learned valuable lessons about the pitfalls of partnerships. Recognising from the outset that there would be differences, we have understood the importance of listening to one another and of investing in the development of our mutual relationship for building trust. The experience has strengthened our understanding of what makes a partnership truly successful.
Five key challenges
- Expectation alignment
At the outset, although the “Together for Impact” partnership agreement outlined three key focus areas for our collaboration — Learning for Change, Youth Leadership for Change, and Enablers for Change — many aspects were left undefined. This led to some confusion and the misalignment of expectations during the early stages of the partnership. It took time for both our organisations to align our goals and understand each other’s contributions. The key lesson we have learned here is that while flexibility is crucial for fostering an environment of innovation, the internalisation of shared goals, the clarification of definitions to ensure mutual understanding, and the establishment of clear procedures takes time and requires staff at all levels to be very patient and prepared to make continual adjustments.
- Adapting to different working styles, organisational structures and time zones
As we work in different time zones, use different languages and have different organisational cultures it was sometimes difficult to find a sustainable approach that worked for both parties. Geographical distance inevitably led to delays in addressing issues, meaning matters could not always be resolved promptly, and this slowed the decision-making process. Eventually, we recognised the need to treat these challenges as serious obstacles. In addition, there was uncertainty about each other’s priorities: both organisations have day-to-day operations that demand immediate attention and sometimes the partnership took second place, despite its importance. We have also differing organisational approval procedures that both parties have had to learn to respect and navigate to ensure the smooth running of the partnership.
- Logistical hurdles require clear communicationBoth MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre are ambitious organisations, and the partnership’s wide-reaching scope meant that, at times, the volume of activities was rather large. With both organisations working towards shared objectives, coordinating multiple initiatives, and managing a diverse range of tasks, it took a significant effort to stay on top of everything. We realised that it was essential to prioritise in order to ensure that the most critical activities were completed without compromising the quality of outcomes. This logistical juggling not only tested our organisations’ capacity for planning and coordination, it reinforced the importance of clear communication and realistic expectations.
- Balancing reflection and implementation
As well as being a benefit, the difference in our methodologies was a challenge. This divergence sometimes led to frustration and confusion, as both sides had different expectations regarding the pace and direction of the work. However, although integrating these differing approaches while maintaining momentum was challenging, it was also a valuable learning experience. It allowed us to recognise and appreciate the unique strengths and expertise each partner brought to the table in our respective fields.
- The question of equal partnerships
The question of whether our partnership is truly equitable has naturally arisen – it would have been surprising if it had not. While our shared agreement outlines a mutual commitment to a partnership where both parties benefit, the financial resources come from Danida through Danida Fellowship Centre. This, of course, raises the challenge of how to avoid creating an unhealthy dynamic that could undermine the goals of the partnership. Fortunately, MS TCDC is a well-established institution with a long history of collaboration with Denmark, grounded in an agreement between the Danish and Tanzanian governments that has been in place for over sixty years. Danida Fellowship Centre has a comparable history. As such, the issue of equity is not new for either party, and both of us have experience in navigating these complexities. Nevertheless, the inherent imbalance in the partnership remains, requiring the continuous and conscious effort of both parties to ensure that everything we do centres on creating better learning for all.
Overall, our journey in the “Together for Impact” partnership has shown us that success is not the result of immediate actions but of a process. Our partnership has thrived on continuous mutual learning, ongoing evaluation, flexibility in approach, and a shared commitment to creating lasting impact. Through this ongoing journey of learning and adaptation, we have established a strong North-South partnership that delivers enduring results. This demonstrates that the most meaningful collaborations prioritise patience, perseverance and mutual growth.
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