PRIA & Partnerships with Academic / Research Institutions in India and Overseas Dr Mandakini Pant

1. PRIA & Partnerships with Academic / Research Institutions in India and Overseas Dr Mandakini Pant February 18, 2010

2. Presentation Outline • Introduction • About PRIA • Partnerships with Academia and Research Institutions • Premise • Historical background • Cases • Outcomes • New Paradigms of Partnerships

3. Introduction Why partnership? • The concerns for sustainable development and inclusive citizenship therein • The stakeholders in the development transformation realizing the significance of collaborative initiatives in encouraging pro-people change

4. About PRIA • International Centre for Learning and Promotion of Democratic Governance • Three broad approaches • field action • to promote 'citizens’ collective voices' • to make demands on governance institutions to claim their rights, access services and ensure accountable utilization of public resources in development programmes • on-demand advisory and consultancy services • to offer ‘participatory and sustainable solutions' to improve supply sides of development and democracy • educational programmes • through open distance learning mode

5. Partnerships with Academia and Research Institutions Premise • Commonality of purpose in effecting social development • producing knowledge for practical purpose of policy change and developmental interventions and for contributing to the theoretical elaboration; and • Complimentarity in achieving that goal

6. Partnerships with Academia and Research Institutions Historical background • Partnership with the academia confined primarily to the Schools of Social Work • Research association with overseas institutions like IDS • PCE, creating new relationships and synergies with higher education institutions • Multipronged partnerships at the national, and international levels

7. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): Nature of Partnership • World’s largest university • 59 Regional Centers, 5 sub-regional centers and about 1468 study centers all over the country • promotes resource sharing, collaboration and networking with CSOs • to offer need-based, socially and academically relevant, professional and vocational programmes

8. New educational courseMasters in Participatory Development (MAPD) advertisements, learning material, prospectus, degree and certificates in the joint name of IGNOU and PRIA By PRIA Basic course material Minimum infrastructure and academic support for the IPFPCs PRIA to coordinate with IGNOU learners' engagement through web-enabled bulletin board service, tele-counseling, field placement activities and monitor learners' progress BY IGNOU convert PRIA's manuscripts into self-instructional material in print, audio and video, appoint academic counsellors, programme in charges, organize admission and evaluation processes for Degrees and Certificates through its standard tested network and systems Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): Nature of Partnership

9. University of Victoria, Canada • Reputation for commitment to research, scholarship and co-op education • Recognized for innovative and responsive programs, interdisciplinary and international initiatives • A diverse learning community

10. Development of Courses Certificate courses International Perspectives in Participatory Research (IPPR), Sept. 2005 International Perspectives in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (IPME), Oct. 2007 International Dimensions of Adult and Lifelong Learning (IALL), Oct. 2007 Master of Arts in Community Development-International (MACD-I) Co-Teaching teaching of the courses by subject experts both from PRIA and UVic University Certificate courses MACD-I Internship exchange of interns To provide an opportunity to widen perspectives To expand professional and personal horizons UVic: Nature of Partnership

11. Research A study ‘Women’s Political Leadership and Educational Provisions in Canada and India Canadian team field visit to Rajasthan and Haryana PRIA team visited parts of Canada community-university research partnerships in poverty reduction and sustainable development Promotion of Community-Based Research promoting dissemination of Global Alliance on Community-Engaged Research (GACER) declaration Structured Events UVic supporting and participating PRIA International Conferences on Citizenship & Participation Joint participation in International Conferences Publications UVic faculties contributing papers in PRIA Journal Participation and Governance UVic: Nature of Partnership

12. Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK • A leading global organisation for research, teaching and communications on international development • The research programmes organised in closely linked multidisciplinary teams • Hosts a number of international, multi-partner research projects.   • Citizenship Development Research centre (DRC) one such research partnership of research institutions and practice based civil society groups from India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, and Nigeria from the south and U.K from the North • DRC explores the issues of poverty, exclusion and marginalization within the framework of rights and citizenship • Also aims at making rights real for people through research, dissemination, policy influence and capacity building

13. Research Citizenship DRC research generated field-based knowledge on issues of citizenship, development, participation, and governance elaborated conceptual frameworks and provided new perspectives on these issues highlighted policy gaps findings disseminated locally and globally through conferences, seminars, and publication of study findings Course Development, Course Delivery and Course Teaching : IPCDA assistance in detailing out the course outline providing background material and suggestions on readings and references earmarked some financial resources for providing some fellowships for the first offering of the course course delivery as co-instructors and as guest faculty; course marketing by disseminating information of the course through different communication channels- i.e. email, websites IDS: Nature ofPartnership

14. IDS: Nature ofPartnership Research publications • Publication of research papers in Journals Participation and Governance (PRIA) and IDS Bulletin (IDS) • books on various DRC research themes Structured Events • Six International Conferences on the theme of “Citizenship and Governance” since 2003 with the support of Citizenship DRC

15. Outcomes • Joint collaboration in course development, course delivery and teaching • harnessed and synergised the available capacities • Joint organization and participation in structured events • provided a common platform to discuss the contemporary issues on participation, citizenship, civil society, governance • The collaboration with HEIs • demonstrated their willingness to accept new ideas from the practice community, thereby, introduce new perspective in the university curriculum • Collaborative publications • disseminated the findings to a wider audience as well as serving as reading materials for future courses

16. New Paradigms of Partnership • Partnership to be anchored in the framework of life-long learning • Collaborative knowledge production with Community-Based Participatory Research perspective to be gathered from multiple sites and institutions of society • Innovative courses and curricula to respond /stimulate individuals to accept responsibility for and to meet societal challenges • Objective to prepare active citizens and humble leaders