Partners

The Centre works with a wide range of individuals, organisations and networks that are contributing to inclusive social change in Indigenous Australia, the Pacific, Southeast Asia and Timor Leste.

Rather than provide one-off services, we aim to be a trusted and critical friend to our partners. We strive to build long term relationships on the basis of equity, mutual respect and solidarity. These relationships allow us to interact with our partners at multiple levels, including with senior leadership, to make space for dialogue and debate and generate on-going two-way learning.

We can support our partners with action-research; political economy analysis; monitoring, evaluation and learning; research design and management; thinking and working politically; adaptive programming; coalition building, and partnership brokering. We take a developmental approach to our work which promotes partner ownership and control, amplifies the voices of people projects are designed to benefit and builds partner and participant capacity.

If you are interested in partnering with us, then please contact Chris Adams at c.adams@latrobe.edu.au.

Our current partners are listed below. For more information on the projects that we are delivering with these partners, please see the Projects page of our website.

Higher Education Institutions

The University of Birmingham

The Centre partners with the International Development Department of the University of Birmingham to implement the Developmental Leadership Program (DLP). This research partnership explores how leadership, power and political processes drive or block successful development. The DLP is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). A third phase of the DLP, ‘DLP3’, started in 2019 and will run through until mid 2023.

TAFE Queensland

The Centre partners with TAFE Queensland to support the delivery of the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC).  APTC is Australia's flagship Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program in the Pacific region. The DFAT-funded APTC works collaboratively with national governments, development partners, private sector organisations, civil society organisations and Pacific TVET institutions to provide Australian-standard skills and qualifications to Pacific Islanders in nine Pacific countries: Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tonga and Kiribati. The Centre provides a range of services to APTC, including assistance with thinking and working politically; coalition building; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning; and partnership brokering.

Institute for Global Development, University of New South Wales

The Institute for Global Development (IGD) is an ambitious initiative set up by the University of New South Wales to tackle significant global
development challenges. The IGD is committed to achieving change through harnessing academic excellence, fostering transformative partnerships and translating evidence into impact. The Centre is currently partnering with IGD on the development of a Pacific-led research agenda.

Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University

The Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University is a regional leader in high quality social and public policy research. The Northern Institute's research aims to develop an understanding of regional development and provide robust evidence to inform policy development, facilitate capacity building and respond to the needs of governments and communities. The Centre recently partnered with the Northern Institute to develop a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for the Northern Territory Government's Remote Engagement and Coordination Strategy (RECS) which aims to improve the way they coordinate their services and engage with regional and remote Aboriginal community members.

Pacific Research Community, La Trobe University

The Pacific Research Community (PaRC) brings together La Trobe staff and Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students conducting research in the Pacific Islands and the Pacific global diaspora, and La Trobe students who identify with the Pacific region.

PaRC creates a community of staff and students at La Trobe focused on the Pacific and Pacific-Australia engagement. This is unique for Victorian universities and is only replicated in a small number of other Australian Universities.

It builds on the existing and extensive Pacific research and project work already being undertaken at La Trobe, to generate research collaboration, outreach, and community engagement opportunities.

PaRC is co-hosted by the Centre for Human Security and Social Change and the Department of Social Inquiry.

University of Otago

The University of Otago, founded in 1869 and New Zealand’s first university, is defined by a tradition of innovation and excellence in research and research-led teaching across a range of traditional, professional and applied programs. The Centre is partnering with the University of Otago and other organisations to undertake research on youth leadership and civic engagement in the Pacific. The research is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.

Non-Government Organisations

BILiC

Bandung Independent Living Centre (BILiC) is an Indonesian disability advocacy organisation that is led by persons with disabilities. It was established in 2003 and is focused on promoting independent living for persons with disabilities. In line with the view that persons with disabilities are the experts on their own lives, BILiC provides peer support and counselling services, personal assistance and assistive devices and advocacy to promote the rights of people with disabilities, The Centre is partnering with BILiC to undertake research on leadership in the disability movement in Indonesia.

The Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation (TAF) is a non-profit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. TAF addresses the critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century by: strengthening governance, expanding economic opportunity, increasing environmental resilience, empowering women, and promoting international cooperation. The Centre is currently partnering with TAF on a range of projects, including: research on youth leadership and civic engagement in the Pacific; undertaking a political economy analysis of large ocean states in the Pacific; delivering political economy analysis training for DFAT staff; developing case studies on adaptive policy reform for the Coalitions for Change program; and critically reviewing a suite of contemporary development practice notes produced by TAF's reginal governance unit.

Fred Hollows Foundation

The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) is a leading international development organisation working in more than 25 countries to end avoidable blindness and vision impairment. The Foundation does this through strengthening health systems and working wiith communities to improve their own eye health. The Foundation supports life-changing surgeries and treatments, training doctors and health workers, generating new ideas, funding research and pushing for change at all levels - from local to global. It is a non-political, secular, organisation. The Centre has recently partnered with FHF to develop its theory of change and conduct research on the implications of localisation.

Australian Council for International Development

The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) is the peak body for Australian non government organisations (NGOs) involved in international development and humanitarian action. Founded in 1965, ACFID currently has over 130 members working in more than 90 countries. It's members include secular and faith-based organisations, large Australian organisations that are part of international federations of NGOs, national NGOs and smaller agencies with specialised thematic and geographic expertise. The Centre partners with ACFID on a range of initiatives exploring the role NGOs in international development.  The Centre is an Associate Member of ACFID and Dr. Linda Kelly, an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre, is an advisor to ACFID's Development Practice Committee.

The Voice Inc

The Voice Inc. (TVI) was established in 2007 by a group of law students at the University of Papua New Guinea who recognized the need for young people to be active agents of change in their communities. TVI has now grown into an organization that has Centres for Leadership delivering programs on multiple University Campuses across the country, with an alumni of over 600 people. TVI is recognized as a leading and dynamic youth development organization. The Centre is currently providing research and learning support to TVI's Local Leadership and Collective Program.

Aboriginal Controlled Organisations

Central Land Council

The Central Land Council (CLC) is an independent statutory authority which represents Aboriginal people in Central Australia and supports them to manage their land, make the most of the opportunities it offers and promote their rights. It emerged from the Aboriginal struggle for justice and land rights. The Centre partners with CLC to support the monitoring and evaluation of six major regional community development programs.

Northern Land Council

The Northern Land Council (NLC) represents Aboriginal people in the Top End of the Northern Territory and assists them to acquire and manage their traditional lands and seas. It is an independent statutory authority of the Commonwealth. The Centre partnered with NLC to support the monitoring and evaluation of their Community Planning and Development Program.

Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory

Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) is an alliance of Aboriginal-controlled organisations made up of the Central Land Council (CLC), the Aboriginal Governance and Management Program (AGMP), Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT) and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the NT (AMSANT). The Centre previously partnered with AGMP to develop its monitoring, evaluation and learning framework and recently partnered with APONT to undertake an evaluation of AGMP.

Warlpiri Education and Training Trust

Warlpiri teachers and traditional owners of the site of Newmont's Tanami gold mine set up the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) in 2005 to use royalties from the mine to improve education and training outcomes for Warlpiri people in the Tanami region. The Centre is currently partnering with WETT to develop and support the implementation of a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for their education and training program.

Managing Contractors

Cardno Emerging Markets

Cardno (now part of DT Global) is a global infrastructure, environmental and social development company operating in more than 100 countries with a 4000 strong workforce. Cardno's shared purpose is to deliver exceptional professional services to improve physical and social environments that make a difference to people's lives around the world. The Centre is currently partnering with Cardno on several DFAT-funded projects, including undertaking research on women's leadership during COVID-19, supporting research and learning in the Women Leading and Influencing program and undertaking research on the nexus between disability and trafficking of persons for the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program.

CoWater International

Cowater International is a global development consulting company headquartered in Ottawa with corporate hubs in Brussels, London, Montreal and Nairobi. Cowater combines multidisciplinary expertise, private sector execution and a continuous drive for innovative development solutions to solve some of the most complex challenges facing communities in different parts of the world. The Centre is currently partnering with Cowater on several projects which form part of the DFAT-funded INKLUSI program which supports Indonesian women and marginalized groups to equitably participate in and benefit from Indonesia’s social, economic, and political opportunities. These include the development of a GEDSI and intersectionality toolkit and the design and collection of baseline information for a longitudinal impact evaluation of INKLUSI.

Abt Associates

Abt Associates is a global development consulting company which aims to be an engine for social impact, fueled by caring, curiosity and cutting-edge research that moves people from vulnerability to security. The Centre is currently partnering with Abt to provide technical support for adaptive programming in governance programs in Papua New Guinea.

Humanitarian Advisory Group

The Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG) was founded in 2012 to elevate the profile of humanitarian action in Asia and the Pacific. Set up as a social enterprise, HAG provides a unique space for  thinking, research, technical advice and training that can positively contribute to excellence in humanitarian practice. The Centre is currently partnering with HAG to undertake an evaluation of DFAT's COVID-19 Pacific and Timor-Leste Preparedness Recovery NGO Partnership.

Multilateral Organisations

United Nations Population Fund

The United Nations Population Fund or UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The Centre is partnering with UNPA in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea to design and delver health system responses to gender-based violence.

United Nations Development Program

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The Centre is currently partnering with UNDP to undertake an analysis of the accountability ecosystem in the Pacific.