The road to partnerships in practice: Practical wisdom as an alternative to managerialism in NGO partnerships

Motivation The idea of partnerships in international development originated in the 1970s and was canonized in the rhetoric of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, but such partnerships have been criticized for their inability to create ownership and capacity changes in practice. Purpose The article presents a case study of a partnership between a Northern NGO (NNGO) and a Southern NGO (SNGO) that aims to enhance capacity development. Approach and methods While acknowledging the critiques of partnerships, we ask how a praxis‐informed analysis of the SNGO–NNGO partnership might create a basis for capacity development. A case study of an NNGO–SNGO partnership that seeks to enhance capacity development. Results We argue that the potential for capacity development through partnerships can be enhanced by using a pragmatically oriented approach that renders visible power relations and values differences between donors and recipients. Conclusion The case study has implications for partnerships in practice. As partnerships mature, organizational and strategic complexity increase the need for phronetic praxis, or practical wisdom, rather than just sticking to managerialism. An approach to capacity development that is less power‐blind, and more aware of value differences, could enhance the potential for capacity development. Policy implications Our study contributes to the pragmatic tradition in partnerships in development, suggesting that the praxis approach can be a way to enhance and deal with opportunities for capacity development.