GFAiR unveils guides to measure Equitable Partnerships

The Global Forum on Agricultural Innovation and Research (GFAiR) has launched four briefs that act as practical guides with frameworks, standards, and measurements for Equitable Partnerships at every stage of Research for Development projects. These are based on the GFAiR Partnership Principles

The four briefs include:

• GFAiR Partnership Principles
• Applying Partnership Principles in Projects
• Assessing Partnership Principles in Projects[JK1] 
• Partner-Inclusive Language

Who benefits from the guides? Researchers, project partners, and global agricultural initiatives at all levels.

Why this matters:
Launched on the sidelines of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 (#AFSForum2026) in Kigali, Rwanda on September 4, 2026, these tools fill a critical gap in agricultural research—providing clear standards for measuring Equitable Partnerships.
 
As GFAiR Executive Secretary Joanna Kane-Potaka highlighted during the launch: "There are no standards on measuring Equitable Partnerships, and a lot more work is needed. That is why GFAiR unveiled a series of guides for how to apply Equitable Partnerships in projects, as well as how to measure them at each stage of a Research for Development project."

The launch brought together representatives from some of Africa's leading agricultural research organisations, including the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA). The top leadership of the key organisations present include:
 
 1. FARA: Dr. Aggrey Agumya (Executive Director)
 2. ASARECA: Sylvester Dickson Baguma (PhD) (Executive Director along with Dr. Joshua Okonya, Moses Odeke; Julian Barungi and Blaise Amony)
 3. CORAF: Dr. Emmanuel Njukwe (Director of Research and Innovation)
 4. CCARDESA: Dr. Majola L. Mabuza (Special Programme Coordinator, FSRP)
 5. GFAiR: Joanna Kane-Potaka (Executive Secretary), Francois Stepman (Advisor), and Dr. Botir Dosov (GNC Consultant) 

Photo caption: From left to right: Julian Barungi (Policy Officer, ASARECA); Dr. Majola L. Mabuza (Special Programme Coordinator, FSRP, CCARDESA); Dr. Joshua Sikhu Okonya (Technology and Innovation Officer, ASARECA); Francois Stepman (Advisor, GFAiR); Moses Odeke (Technical Officer, Monitoring and Evaluation, ASARECA); Joanna Kane-Potaka (Executive Secretary, GFAiR); Dr. Emmanuel Njukwe (Director of Research and Innovation, CORAF); Dr. Aggrey Agumya (Executive Director, FARA); Dr. Botir Dosov (GNC Coordinator, GFAiR); Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma (Executive Director, ASARECA); Achilley Ssebwana (Programme Officer, Information Systems, ASARECA); and Blaise Amony (Partnerships and Capacity Development, ASARECA).

Their presence reflected the increasingly important role of regional cooperation in agricultural research, particularly as African countries seek solutions that can be adapted and scaled across different farming systems and ecological regions.

A Comprehensive overview of the Equitable Partnerships

Strong research partnerships are not accidental. They are outcomes of deliberate collaboration that is fair, transparent, respectful, and mutual––values enveloped in equity. Equity is synonymous with quality in partnerships and is indispensable for impactful Research and Innovation for Development (RI4D) outcomes.

• Applying partnership principles in programmes and projects

An agrifood RI4D initiative has multiple phases. The Partnership Principles can be applied in every phase by partners of a project or programme, particularly the lead or coordinating institutions, to ensure the partnership remains grounded in equity.

The Applying Partnership Principles in Projects brief seeks to guide the application across pre-proposal, proposal development, implementation, analysis, dissemination, and scaling phases of a project.

• Assessing application of Partnership Principles in projects

How do you know your research partnership is equitable?

The Partnership Assessment Tool, developed from the GFAiR Partnership Principles, helps identify and address equity gaps in partnerships.

Calling for self-evaluation at every phase of a project, the tool nudges action in a verifiable manner to close the gaps. An assessment demonstrates to relevant stakeholders that a project’s underlying partnership is equitable to all partners. 

The survey-based Partnership Assessment Tool(PAT) complements the Applying Partnership Principles in Projects brief. The PAT tool can be used manually or through its digital version, with instructions provided in the introduction.

• Changing perceptions through inclusive language

The language you use when working with other partners signals how you—or your organisation—perceive the partnership. It can either reinforce hierarchy and distance, or foster inclusion, equity, and mutual respect.

Partner-inclusive language use begins with recognising common non-inclusive or exclusionary narratives that defy principles of equitable partnerships.

Co-designed with practitioners for anyone working in RI4D, the Partner-Inclusive Language brief offers alternative framing to everyday non-inclusive language use cases, grounding communication in equity.