Background
The term learning partnership began gaining prominence in the early 2000s, particularly within public sector innovation and participatory research contexts. Its conceptual roots align with traditions like participatory action research (PAR) and community-based participatory research (CBPR), which emphasise collaborative inquiry and shared learning between researchers and practitioners. Today, learning partnerships are increasingly being commissioned in place – or sometimes along with – impact/outcome evaluations.
From evaluation to Learning Partnerships
Traditional evaluations often focus on measuring outcomes against predefined objectives, providing accountability to funders and stakeholders. While invaluable in many situations, impact evaluation can be limiting in complex social contexts where change is non-linear and emergent.
Learning partnerships, by contrast, emphasise collaborative inquiry and adaptability. They prioritise mutual learning among researchers, practitioners, and communities, allowing for real-time adjustments and a deeper understanding of the processes driving change. Learning partnerships share many features with developmental evaluations and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, however learning partnerships are likely to emphasise the co-creation of knowledge between learning partner and host organisation and to focus upon reflection action research. Learning partnerships may focus substantively upon relationships and power, as well as upon shifting internal and external contexts.
Learning partnerships offer significant opportunities for programme, organisational and sector wide learning:
- Enhanced relevance: By involving stakeholders throughout the research process, findings are more likely to be applicable and actionable.
- Capacity building: Participants develop skills in critical thinking, reflection, and adaptive learning, strengthening the overall system's ability to respond to change.
- Innovation: The collaborative nature of learning partnerships can foster creative solutions that may not emerge in traditional evaluation settings.
Challenges
Transitioning to a learning partnership model can present challenges for both commissioners and researchers:
- Power dynamics: Establishing equitable relationships between researchers and practitioners requires conscious effort to balance expertise and lived experience.
- Institutional constraints: Organisations accustomed to traditional evaluation metrics may struggle to accommodate the iterative and process-oriented nature of learning partnerships, and feel frustrated by the lack of clear-cut answers.
- Resource allocation: Sustaining ongoing collaboration and reflection demands time and resources that may not be readily available or prioritised.
- Lack of clarity: Commissioners do not necessarily fully interrogate the distinction between learning partnerships and evaluation; this can lead to differing understanding and interpretations of the aims and objectives.
Building skills for researchers
Whilst many of the skills required to develop effective learning partnerships are similar to those often held by researchers (analysis, writing, asking the right questions), there are additional skills that are needed in the toolkit:
- Facilitation: Guiding discussions that encourage diverse perspectives and collective sense-making.
- Reflexivity: Continuously examining one's own assumptions and the impact of one's role within the partnership.
- Adaptability: Being open to evolving goals and methods in response to emerging insights.
- Communication: Articulating complex ideas clearly and fostering transparent dialogue among all participants.
Conclusion
As social research increasingly engages with ongoing, adaptive challenges, the limitations of traditional evaluation methods become more apparent. While evaluations provide valuable insights into programme effectiveness and accountability, they often fall short in capturing the nuanced, evolving nature of social interventions.
Learning partnerships offer a transformative approach by fostering collaborative inquiry, mutual learning, and adaptability. They emphasise co-creation of knowledge, allowing researchers and practitioners to navigate uncertainties and respond to emerging needs effectively.
However, transitioning to learning partnerships is not without tensions. Navigating power dynamics, building trust among stakeholders, and redefining traditional roles require intentional effort and reflexivity. Researchers must develop skills beyond methodological expertise, including facilitation, active listening, and the ability to engage in critical self-reflection.
Embracing learning partnerships necessitates a cultural shift in how we conceptualise research and its relationship with practice. It calls for an openness to shared leadership, a commitment to ongoing dialogue, and a recognition of the value of diverse perspectives.
By adopting learning partnerships, researchers can contribute to more responsive, inclusive, and impactful social research. This approach not only enriches the research process but also enhances the potential for meaningful, sustainable change within communities and systems.
Author Bio: Miranda Lewis is Director of m2, a consultancy that works as learning partner and evaluator to a wide range of organisations working in the social, environmental and heritage sectors. She is undertaking a PhD through public works at Middlesex University, focusing upon the role of learning and reflection in social change and complexity. She is a Research Associate at IVAR, and prior to setting up m2 was Associate Director and Head of Qualitative Research at the IPPR think tank.
Miranda is running an SRA training session on developing effective learning partnerships on 3 July.