Interagency partnerships in aid-recipient countries: lessons from an aquaculture project in Bangladesh

In aid-recipient countries, partnerships between government, donors, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are now a central feature of many development projects and programs, but partnership arrangements in practice are rarely subjected to detailed scrutiny. A distinct discourse of partnership has been "produced" by the present configuration of foreign donors, NGOs, and government in the aquaculture sector in Bangladesh, which sometimes adds value by improving effectiveness and sometimes does not, merely reinforcing various agency interests. Drawing on data emerging from a process documentation of this project, a new model of active as opposed to dependent partnership is emerging. This model emphasizes the processes, experiences, and perceptions of partnership as well as the planned project outputs. It envisages a role for NGOs that goes beyond service delivery and informs and challenges existing public sector policy and practice.