Public-Private Partnerships in North-South Research:
Powerful Tool or Trojan Horse?
Some conclusions following the KFPE workshop of 19 August 2003 in Basel

Experiences by SIGHT AND LIFE

Martin Frigg, Secretary Task Force SIGHT AND LIFE, Basel
www.sightandlife.org

SIGHT AND LIFE was asked to give this contribution to the workshop on “Public-Private-Partnerships” because of its particular structure of relations with partners. With many organisations the form of co-operation is simple. In many other cases relations are complex. The form of collaboration is mostly determined by the mutual needs and objectives as well as by the available resources such as expertise, capacities and financial possibilities. Based on that it is necessary to find a common basis.

The objective of SIGHT AND LIFE is to fight against vitamin A deficiency, to reduce and eliminate related diseases, to decrease child mortality, to prevent blindness and to improve general nutrition. Given that the aims are very general, they are relevant to a broad spectrum of organisations and institutions. Nutrition actually is relevant for everybody. Within these aims SIGHT AND LIFE tries to give support to a broad spectrum of institutions.

Research topics which are supported have to fit to the overall goals. Projects range from very simple evaluations like determining contents of local foods, surveys at regional or national level, to sophisticated studies involving immunology or genomics. The more sophisticated the projects are, the more likely it is that monitoring comes from an institution of a northern country.

The relations always are non-symmetric. SIGHT AND LIFE has expertise to give advice and technical support, can give grants, and can provide information materials. In this sense it is different from a pure funding agency. The partners applying for support have to show own knowledge and capacities as well as to bring in local resources. Several case reports will be given illustrating the broad spectrum of options. Objectives, form of collaboration and the achievements will be critically reviewed also in the light of the 11 principles.

In the way SIGHT AND LIFE is acting, many of the problems addressed in the principles do not even come up. The “southern” partner has to bare responsibility. Based on the mutually agreed protocol, research has to be performed and reported. Discussion is always possible, but there is no direct control. Based on the reports it is decided about success. In case of failure support is discontinued.

Many of the projects supported by SIGHT AND LIFE contributed to build local capacity. Although in a countrywide perspective the steps may be small, in view of the 11 principles the success in most aspects can be judged as good.



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