Objective: To present lessons learned from studying activities designed to improve collaboration between and build capacity within developing countries (called “Southerners”) and reduce their continued reliance on technical assistance from developed countries (“Northerners”).
Methods: We conducted key informant interviews with 80 donors, USAID contractors, and Southern nationals in the health and population sectors, and a review of project evaluations, descriptions of current South-to-South (S-to-S) collaboration activities, and other documents.
Results: The most common approaches for S-to-S collaboration are networks, study tours, technical assistance and training, and meetings and conferences. Key informants suggest that these approaches (or a combination thereof) should be initiated and driven by the needs of the country and region receiving the TA rather than by requirements of the donor agency. Regardless of the S-to-S approaches used, this study has revealed that it is important to have clearly identified objectives, appropriate participants, long-term relationships between partners and, where necessary, some level of continued donor funding.
Conclusions: S-to-S collaboration is a long-term investment in programmatic sustainability that requires one to establish and maintain long-term relationships. It involves both exchanges between Southern partners and capacity development when needed. Such collaborations have the potential to help build local or regional infrastructures and skills that contribute to technical, programmatic, and institutional sustainability. Findings from this review should be useful to members of the international population and family planning development community by suggesting possible future directions for incorporating S-to-S collaboration in USAID-funded development projects.
Learning Objectives: Following this presentation the participants should be able to: 1. Distinguish the most common approaches used in "South-to-South" collaboration. 2. Identify conditions conducive to sucessfull "South-to-South" collaboration. 3. Suggest viable approaches for applying SS "lessons learned" to their own international activities.
Keywords: International Family Planning, Sustainability
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.