Partnerships arrangements as strategic action for inclusive development; Practice and

Partnership arrangements are increasingly seen as a promising approach to mobilise strategic actors for economic growth and inclusive development in the agricultural sector of Sub-Saharan Africa. Partnership practitioners see the value of partnership arrangements, but note that integration in the overall
governance structure remains a challenge. There is limited knowledge on the functioning and outcomes of partnership arrangements in various value chain contexts. The research with practitioner-knowledgesharing therefore aims to generate in-depth evidence and joint understanding of (a) the conditions for
strategic actors to initiate or get involved in partnerships for inclusive development, and the institutional entrepreneurial mechanism that partnership members employ to create this development; (b) the induced institutional bricolage leading to new forms of innovation governance; and (c) the impact in terms of economic practices and relationships between smallholders and other value chain actors. Through workshops, training and communication material, findings will be shared with a larger public.