7 September 2015: The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its 2015 Development Co-operation Report, focused on partnerships in the post-2015 period. The report, titled ‘Making Partnerships Effective Coalitions for Action,’ explores the potential of networks and partnerships to create incentives for responsible action, and ways of coordinating the activities of diverse stakeholders. It examines several existing partnerships to draw lessons and provide practical guidance. The report also proposes ten success factors for post-2015 partnerships, including to “secure high-level leadership.”

The 2015 Development Co-operation Report is the third in a trilogy of reports (2013-2015) on ‘Global Development Co-operation Post-2015: Managing Interdependence,’ aimed at preparing for 2015 and beyond. This year’s publication underlines that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require a changing role for governments, which have traditionally been seen as the main providers of finance for development, along with strong involvement by many actors, including the private sector and civil society.

The report identifies three guiding principles for realizing the full potential of partnerships in the post‑2015 period: accountable action – stressing the need for new types of accountability, measurable commitments and standards, and ensuring that all partners are represented within governance mechanisms; coordinated and effective action – underlining the importance of streamlined partnerships that integrate existing actors and structures, in order to reduce fragmented action and ease the reporting and administrative burden on developing countries, while also improving both delivery and impact; and experience‑based action – highlighting the need for dialogue and learning from experience, including through South‑South cooperation and accountability mechanisms, from peer reviews to monitoring, reporting and evaluation cycles.

The publication proposes ten success factors for post-2015 partnerships: securing high‑level leadership; ensuring partnerships are country‑led and context‑specific; avoiding duplication of effort and fragmentation; making governance inclusive and transparent; applying the right type of partnership model for the challenge; agreeing on principles, targets, implementation plans and enforcement mechanisms; clarifying roles and responsibilities; maintaining a clear focus on results; measuring and monitoring progress towards goals and targets; and mobilizing the required financial resources and using them effectively.

A section on ‘Development Partnerships in Action’ looks at 11 case stories, including: the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC); the Gates Foundation’s experiences with partnerships such as Gavi, the Global Fund, and Every Newborn; Education for All; Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL); the Aid for Trade initiative; PARIS21; and the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism.

The 2015 report was launched on 7 September 2015 in Paris, France. A pre-launch presentation took place on 4 September 2015 in Mexico, and launching events will also be organized in the US (9 September), Luxembourg (10 September), and Poland (11 September). [Publication: Development Co-operation Report 2015: Making Partnerships Effective Coalitions for Action] [Report Highlights] [Infographic on Ten Success Factors] [OECD Webpage on Publication and Launches]