THREE PRACTICES ENGAGE
PARTNERS VALUE MOST IN LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Dr Ibtesum Afrin Research Officer
Coady Institute
October 2025
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ENGAGE PARTNERS IDENTIFY THE PRACTICES THEY VALUE MOST IN COADY’S APPROACH AS A LEARNING PARTNER.
This brief is based on the discussions from the Engage project management meeting held in Nepal in 2025.¹ The purpose of this brief is to identify, based on partners' reflections, the ongoing value of the Coady Institute as a learning partner from the Global North.
Over the year, through the Engage project, Coady Institute has supported implementation partners in community-based training of women leaders and related initiatives that promote gender equality. Simultaneously, the institute has provided capacity-building assistance to partner organizations and their local, national, and regional networks It has also conducted learning-oriented activities, such as action research, case study documentation, curriculum development, and more, which build on community initiatives and share lessons learned through various dissemination and training opportunities. There were three areas that emerged from the discussion that illustrate how partners see the Coady Institute as a learning partner:
¹ENGAGE! is a multi-year initiative (2019–2026) co-designed by the Coady Institute with five partner organizations from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, and Tanzania The project aims to promote gender equality and reduce poverty by enhancing women’s ability to participate in the social and economic life of their communities It employs an asset-based citizen-led development (ABCD) approach to foster gender-equitable change This method ensures that local communities, particularly women, take ownership and control of social and economic development initiatives that reflect their realities and priorities
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND PARTNERSHIP BUILDING
Building on their experience with the Engage project, partners emphasized that Coady’s strength is in fostering coplanning, co-exploration, and ongoing communication among collaborators. They found this approach beneficial because it created mentorship opportunities and helped build relationships between partner organizations on an international platform. This platform enabled them to implement significant primary-level system changes to promote women's economic empowerment and active citizenship. Partners view Coady’s role as a liaison between the North and South, ensuring inclusive participation and mutual learning across the network.
VALUE OF RESEARCH EMBEDDED IN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION/ACTI VITIES
Coady’s partners identified community-based and participatory action research as a key element of their collaboration. Research is viewed not only as a means to gather evidence for advocacy but also as a
participatory tool for community reflection and setting directions. Coady, as a learning institute, offers space and resources to support partners and conduct evaluative research to find ways to strengthen communities.
SUSTAINING INNOVATION AND COORDINATING REGIONAL EXPERTISE
Looking ahead, partners identified opportunities to strengthen the sustainability and innovation of work on economic empowerment, active citizenship, and financial autonomy, with the Coady Institute serving as a regional expertise coordinator. Throughout the discussions, partners reaffirmed that Coady’s ongoing engagement in facilitation training on ABCD, women’s leadership, value chain development, climate action, and feminist advocacy remains essential. Together, these elements establish Coady Institute as a central, trusted partner in co-creating locally rooted yet globally relevant learning ecosystems.
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WAYS FORWARD
Coady Institute is a trusted learning partner that can continue to promote collaboration, reflection, and innovation across various contexts There is a multifaceted value in co-planning and co-facilitation
Partners appreciate Coady Institute’s focus on participatory and qualitative research in project implementation. There is a recommendation to establish an embedded learning agenda for future projects and to integrate research into project activities
CONCLUSION
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Coady Institute can play a role in coordinating regional expertise and partners' subject-specific knowledge that has been developed over decades.
Build on existing partnership values to support system changes and strengthen local communities.
Coady has a longstanding commitment to community-led development and walking with the community. Building on partnerships, creating space for co-planning and facilitation through research and innovation, and coordinating the expertise of regional partners, the Coady Institute can walk alongside and complement Canada’s Feminist International foreign aid policies.