Partnerships - Empty shells don’t make pearls

In this blog, we discuss why many partnerships end up as empty shells. They exist symbolically and do not drive any impact. In times of scarcity and crisis, this not only leads to waste but is dangerous for delivering SDG targets. Key lessons are summarised at the end of this blog.

When partners stop engaging

The United Nations has registered over 8,000 partnerships that focus on delivering on SDG targets. While the number of partnerships keeps increasing each year and is in principle a positive sign of collaboration and coordination, many partners feel that their engagement is becoming decreasingly meaningful.

While the number of partnerships keeps increasing each year and is in principle a positive sign of collaboration and coordination, many partners feel that their engagement is becoming decreasingly meaningful.

In the worst case, partners stop engaging and acting and partnerships become symbolic. More often, partnership Secretariats are left struggling for funds and attention, governance representation levels begin to drop, and discussions on process dominate over real action.

Although interim reviews conclude that specific partnerships are still needed (these are often highly curated and orchestrated to justify the continued existence of partnerships, an issue we will write about in our next blog), most partners will informally and in private agree that a partnership has become an empty shell - and it becomes a known secret that a partnership no longer even tries to drive impact.

“Most partners will informally and in private agree that a partnership has become an empty shell - and it becomes a known secret that a partnership no longer even tries to drive impact.”

Beware of top-heavy governance

In times of scarcity and crisis, empty and symbolic partnerships not only lead to waste but are a dangerous impediment to delivering SDG targets. With less than 15 percent of SDG targets on track, and many stagnating or even in reverse, real action - among all partners and partnerships - is critical.

Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been.

António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations, 2023 SDG Report

Many partnerships try to overcome partnership fatigue counterintuitively - by founding even more committees, advisory and technical bodies, and complex governance structures. Discussion, and “action” on process, dominate over real action that drives impact.

In times of scarcity and crisis, empty and symbolic partnerships not only lead to waste but are a dangerous impediment to delivering SDG targets.

How to refocus and drive impact

Mid-point to the Agenda 2030 targets, partnerships can no longer afford to be symbolic - or in the worst case costly, empty shells. Five core questions should be asked by all partnerships, and all partners should be able to respond clearly to these questions:

1. Is the focus of the partnership clear? If a partnership does not have a clear focus, it is nearly impossible to drive collective or coordinated action. Partnerships must focus and regularly refocus on driving impact.
2. Does a partnership have explicit and clear partnership criteria? If the right partners are not on board, or the right partners are not engaging actively, action often stalls. All partnerships must have and regularly ensure that they have clear partnership criteria.
3. Does the partnership offer a distinct value add? Even if the right partners are on board, if a partnership simply duplicates what happens elsewhere, action becomes unlikely. Ensuring diversity in partnerships and having a clear, distinct value-add is critical.
4. Are the right stakeholders engaged in a partnership? Partnerships tend to start off focused but morph like mushrooms into top-heavy bodies. All partnerships must engage in focused and regular stakeholder mapping.
5. Is a partnership really still needed? Partnerships that are known to be symbolic and do not drive impact, yet sink scarce funding and capacity, should be sunsetted. This requires honesty and integrity from all partnerships, including donors and funders.

Key points summarised:

• While the number of partnerships keeps increasing each year and is in principle a positive sign of collaboration and coordination, many partners feel that their engagement is becoming decreasingly meaningful.
• Mid-point to the Agenda 2030 targets, partnerships can no longer afford to be symbolic - or in the worst case costly, empty shells.
• To ensure that partnerships drive real action, 5 core questions should be asked by all partnerships, and all partners should be able to respond clearly to these questions.
• Most importantly, partnerships that are known to be symbolic and do not drive impact, yet sink scarce funding and capacity, should be sunsetted.

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