INDIGO: Creating a Productive Collaborative Culture By Nuha Ibrahim INDIGO

1. INDIGO: Creating a Productive Collaborative Culture By Nuha Ibrahim INDIGO Karen Hand INDIGO

2. Outline of the Presentation • INDIGO Background • Creating a Productive Collaborative Culture: INDIGO &NGOs

3. INDIGO !! The International Doctorate in Global Health Started in 2009 The Objective: “To create a sustainable partnership of African and European universities that promotes and facilitates health research in Africa through the transfer of skills, joint research projects, training of emerging researchers and strengthening of management and supervisor capacity”

5. Partners University of Malawi (Malawi) UK Cochrane Centre/Oxford University (UK) Ibadan University (Nigeria) Harvard University (USA) Makerere University (Uganda) International Doctorate School in Global Health _TCD (Ireland) Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) Columbia University (USA) The Council on Health Research for Development (Switzerland) The Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa)

7. Structure of the programme Enter Via Africa Partner Universities Enter Via Trinity College Block 1 (October – December): Common Programme at TCD Block 2 (January – June): Optional Modules Trinity College Dublin Columbia University New York Trinity with input from Cochrane and Harvard Block 3 (July – August): Internship: HSRC South Africa Year 2: Field Research Year 3: Field Research Year 4: Final Write-up and Examination of Thesis Graduation from TCD and partner university as appropriate

8. Research themes Evidence Based Health Practices Equitable Access to Health Services Human Resources for Health Research Governance The Role of Branding in NGOs Water and Sanitation Health System Financing Hospital Management and Work Environment Community Health Workers Health Information Systems Emerging communities &Health Services

9. Aim of INDIGO Projects

10. Health System Strengthening • Interdisciplinary Approach to Solving Global Health Issues • Knowledge Exchange • Productive Collaboration

11. To achieve projects aims INDIGO Collaborate with: • Universities and academic institutes • MoH and health services facilities • Governmental organisations • Non governmental organisations (NGOs)

12. “Creating a Productive Collaborative Culture: INDIGO and NGOs”

13. Two Main Types of Collaboration INDIGO Within One NGO INDIGO Across Many NGO’s • INDIGO Researcher working across NGO’s • Working alone/within academic team • Research Objectives for INDIGO (and NGO?) • INDIGO Researcher working within NGO • Working alone/within project team • Research Objectives for INDIGO and NGO

14. Issues that Can Arise in Collaborations • INDIGO within NGO • Unclear understanding of deliverables and expectations from both sides • Different end-usage of research data • Intellectual ownership of research data? • Different mind-sets around the role of research and researchers • Different meanings within similar words • E.g different and valid definitions of what constitutes ‘evidence’ • INDIGO across NGO’s • Lack of productive dialogue on the objectives and consequences of research between INDIGO and participating NGO’s • Balancing need for collective NGO learning with individual NGO privacy • Lack of common frameworks to conduct/share research learning • E.G: Formats for writing up /sharing research can differ

15. Best Practice for INDIGO/NGO Research Collaboration 1-Alignment on Shared Key Questions 2-Communication 3-Negotiation 4-Shared Protocols

16. 1. Alignment on the Key Shared Questions • INDIGO researchers and NGO’s have separate distinct realities, goals and objectives -At most extreme : ‘Ivory Tower’ vs. ‘Coal-Face’ • However it makes sense there should be some fertile common ground, where collaboration can add value to both the overall objectives of INDIGO and NGO’s • It is worthwhile having open dialogue about those key questions and where collaboration IS and IS NOT attractive to both parties -This will allow all parties to best apply resources to priority questions

17. 2. Communication • Once there is more alignment, communication should flow • Ideally this means we can communicate less (‘Death by Email’) and achieve more • Relationships between INDIGO researchers and NGO’s can be more about productive partnership and shared goals and less about ‘going through the motions’ of co-operation

18. 3. Negotiation • Negotiation process should allow both INDIGO researcher and NGO “clearly” express their expectations and deliverables • Both sides should be aware and clear about their ‘next best alternative’ so that the final negotiation is seen as a ‘win/win’ • If negotiation breaks down, it releases both parties to pursue more productive arrangements with other parties..

20. 4. Protocols • To protect the interests of both parties and maximize the productivity of collaborations- it makes sense to have some simple protocols for INDIGO/ NGO research • These should flow from and facilitate alignment, communication and negotiation • Protocols need to have flexibility to allow for pioneering and experimental collaborative models • The ability to analyze and learn from new collaborative ways of working should be an overall goal for INDIGO and partner NGO’s.