Negotiated Partnerships

Negotiated Partnerships are fit-for-purpose co-investment arrangements with NZ NGO partners through which we will seek to increase our shared development impact.

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They are multi-year, multi-country and multi-sector arrangements, which are agreed with those (generally larger) New Zealand NGOs with relevant expertise, established relationships, resources and the capability to manage an outcomes-focused programmatic approach to delivering development cooperation.

Invitation to take part is based on the funds already disbursed under PFID, i.e. if the NGO had three or more projects approved in the Partnership for International Development (PFID) fund; and if the total project value was more than $6 million.

The process for determining whether a Negotiated Partnership is a suitable funding mechanism is extensive, and being scheduled to begin negotiations does not mean a Negotiated Partnership will be necessarily agreed by either party. Whether we will proceed will be determined with each partner following exploratory partnership workshops, and comprehensive due diligence and capability mapping to determine whether organisations have the ability to work programmatically, undertake contextual analysis, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and work adaptively.

Negotiated Partnerships Process 2019-2021

A phased approach was used to implement the Negotiated Partnerships mechanism with New Zealand NGOs.

In February 2019 three NGOs were invited to participate in the first pilot phase of the Negotiated Partnerships mechanism. These were World Vision New Zealand(external link), Save the Children New Zealand(external link) and ChildFund New Zealand(external link). All three NGOs are now in the implementation stage of the mechanism.

This first phase was supported by an NGO reference group comprised of CID member organisations: Oxfam New Zealand, UNICEF New Zealand, Tearfund New Zealand, ADRA New Zealand, and Circuit International.

A second cohort of seven NGOs were identified for the next phase of the Negotiated Partnerships, most of which are now in implementation.

A second reference group, Te Rōpū o Ngā Toroa ('Toroa'), has been set up to represent sector wide interests going forward. Toroa currently comprises of membership from CID, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Christian Blind Mission International (New Zealand), Oxfam, Pacifica Koloa Collective, Save the Children New Zealand. This ensured that the first NGO reference group member organisations were not excluded from the second phase as their terms of reference for assisting with the pilot design had come to an end.

Following the second group of Negotiated Partnerships there may be opportunity for other NGOs to be considered in the future. We will continue to keep the sector updated.