TRUST OVER TIME, FORGES COLLABORATION
"We are working with ACE on the SEDI project [Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact, a 5-year DFID-funded programme]. There were lots of different reasons why ACE and AEN’s perspectives were valued in that consortium, definitely my experience with ACE and AEN is one of the reasons why I was looking forward to working together in SEDI. There are three former BCURE partners in that project… That is an example of collaboration that’s maybe drawn on our networking over the years."
by Emily Hayter
Emily Hayter from INASP has walked a long road with the AEN. She’s been a member since 2014, the foundation stages of the network. Emily was involved in the VakaYiko consortium, one of the sister projects in the DFID-funded programme to Build Capacity for the Use of Research Evidence (BCURE).
Now a Senior Programme Specialist leading her organisation’s work on evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) she relates that when she joined the EIPM space there wasn’t an African-led regional discussion about EIPM and what it means. The biggest value that the network has added has been to create that. The AEN has consistently been changing the angle from which discussions are being had, showing thought leadership. Through that it has played a critical role in networking – bringing different actors together over time and creating a forum to solidify relationships, especially outside the boundaries of specific projects, when colleagues might not otherwise have opportunities for such collaborative discussions.
This investment in networking and relationships over time has led to the building of trust, which in turn has contributed to new collaboration. As Emily explains:
We are working with ACE on the SEDI project [Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact, a 5-year DFID-funded programme]. There were lots of different reasons why ACE and AEN’s perspectives were valued in that consortium, definitely my experience with ACE and AEN is one of the reasons why I was looking forward to working together in SEDI. There are three former BCURE partners in that project… That is an example of collaboration that’s maybe drawn on our networking over the years.
Emily values the AEN for its general sense of networking and learning opportunities, which aligns with INASP’s priorities of forging equitable local partnerships, and learning from thought leadership and agendas emerging from within the countries it’s working in. Through the nurturing of relationships and the trust that has been forged, new collaborations are able to form. For Emily this has gone from lose collaboration with a sister project, to a formal partnership.
