Technical session: Multiactor partnerships in humanitarian contexts. An approach from the practice, celebrated on 29th May, 2017. Facilitators: Leda Stott, International Expert in multiactor partnerships; and Alejandra Rojo, Alianza Shire’s Coordinator

1. Seminar Alianza Shire: Energy access to refugees
FINAL CONCLUSIONS
INTRODUCTION
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are worldwide and ambitious commitments and
their enforcement requires a considerable amount of political, technological and
organizational innovation. The need to promote collaborative actions involving all kinds of
actors –from the public, private and social sectors– was highlighted in all the declarations,
reports and recommendations leading to the 2030 Agenda.
According to the United Nations Secretary-General’s definition, “Partnerships are commonly
defined as voluntary and collaborative relationships between various parties, both State and
non-State, in which all participants agree to work together to achieve a common purpose or
undertake a specific task and to share risks, responsibilities, resources, competencies and
benefits”.
Multi-actor Partnerships in Humanitarian Action aim at improving aid quality as well as
providing assistance to the highest possible number of people affected by emergencies.
Although they are based upon consolidated and sustainable relations among their members,
they should respond to urgent needs in contexts of crisis and emergencies.
Alianza Shire is the first Spanish partnership in humanitarian action. The Partnership was
formed in December 2013 and unites the efforts of three leading private companies in the
energy sector (Iberdrola, Fundación Acciona Microenergía and Philips Lighting Spain), a
governmental agency (AECID), a multilateral agency specialised in working with refugees
(UNCHR) and an international NGO (Norwegian Refugee Council). The Centre for
Technological Innovation for Human Development at the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid
(itdUPM) is the institution in charge of fostering, designing, managing and monitoring the
process of collaborative work, enabling consensus to continue building on, and integrating
different points of view.
THE SEMINAR: ALIANZA SHIRE: ENERGY ACCESS TO REFUGEES.
In order to more deeply explore the requirements for successful partnerships in the
humanitarian context, the Spanish Agency for International Development and Cooperation
(AECID) hosted the seminar Alianza Shire: Energy Access to Refugees in Madrid on May
29th
, 2017.

2. The Alianza Shire case study was presented in the seminar. Based on this experience a
discussion was promoted about the key issues that should be considered for building and
managing partnerships.
The approach took into account the perspectives of different invited organizations working in
development, humanitarian, energy and refugee contexts. These organizations belong to
different sectors: private, public, civil society, international organizations and academia.
A synthesis of the very interesting contributions and reflections that took place during the
seminar suggest that the following issues are important to take into account:
 Importance of contextual sensitivity. Partnership must be developed and understood in
relation to specific and changing contexts – there is no ‘one-size- fits-all’ model. We need
to ensure that the partnership arrangements will develop a context specific solutions,
taking into account local institutions, regulatory frameworks, social and historic context,
organizational and personal context.
 Beyond Public Private Partnerships to Multi Actor Partnerships. Partnership
arrangements tend to be much broader and multi-actor based than what PPP rhetoric
often suggests. In the private sector, for example, they extend far beyond connections
with multinational companies, including a variety of arrangements with business
coalitions, small, medium and micro enterprises. In the public sector multi-actor
partnerships create strategic links with national, regional and local governments and a
whole range of civil society organisations, as well as individual citizens. It is also
necessary to acknowledge non-traditional partners such as organisations that operate on
the boundaries between (rather than within) sectors.
 Overcoming the traditional perceptions of the private sector in partnerships. There is
a need to go beyond traditional partnerships in humanitarian action based on the short
term and financial approach, motivated by the objective of pooling resources from the
private sector. The private sector, in its wider sense, may play a crucial role not only in
humanitarian responses but also in disaster preparedness and the building of resilience.
At the same time the private sector may add value in terms of knowledge and technology
transfer, or designing and implementing business models appropriate to create income
generating activities and livelihood opportunities.
 Partnerships require changes in the way we work. Partnerships require a huge
investment in learning how to work together; building the collective collaborative
capacity of all partners; understanding different incentives for working together, and
promoting power-sharing and horizontal decision-making. These efforts require time and
a long-term (rather than short-term) vision.
 Partnerships are about people. People are part of all collaborative solutions in their
diverse roles as users, clients and decision-makers. We should avoid use of terms such as

3. recipients or beneficiaries and recognise people as active agents in their own
development.
 The role of intermediaries is crucial. In all partnership arrangements the role of
facilitator, intermediary, ‘partnership broker’ or boundary spanner is crucial. This role
needs to be acknowledged and developed so that collaboration is improved. Partnership
brokers, as either individuals or organisations, often boost, create, manage and monitor
joint work. They can facilitate consensus, integrate different points of view and form a
‘complete picture’ from the different visions of each Partnership member.
 Practical experiences of partnership need to be shared. Examples of what works (and
what does not) need to be better captured and shared so we can build upon and learn
from them. This will also assist in avoiding duplication. There is a need to systematize the
lessons learned from pioneer partnership experiences, identifying the key elements and
sensitivities that affect working in partnership in specific contexts.
 Partnerships for the SDGs. In view of their centrality in current global frameworks for
change, including the SDGs, we need to raise the bar and be brave enough to promote
partnerships with more imagination. One of the reasons for the emphasis on the role that
multi-actor partnerships can play in the post 2015 agenda is their potential to promote,
initiate, design and support solutions to wicked problems.
Alianza Shire is formed by: