Preparation Exploration Negotiation Implementation
Researcher: I am an expert in my area of study and my knoweldge and expertise knows no geographic boundaries. If it applies here, then it applies there too.
Practitioner: You haven't done research internationally and specifically in this country before? You can't do this project!
Convergence: For many topics, evidence or research findings may not be transferrable to just any geography. Academics: Being open to the newness of a context and the variations it brings will make your research become even more relevant and richer. Be open to differences you may witness, and don't be afraid to take some guidance from your INGO partner in this. INGOs: While an academic may not have in-country experience, their perspective and findings from other contexts could offer a perspective that you are missing. You may learn something that you had not considered before if you give this opportunity a chance to succeed.
Questions Researchers Can Ask:
What are your current challenges and immediate needs? What are the major gaps?
Please provide a context for the country and the project. How many beneficiaries are you serving? What is the scope of the project? What area of focus do you need more information? What is the timeline of the project and how many staff are you working with?
Questions Practitioners Can Ask:
What contextual factors could influence the research?
What current or past experience do you have working in the field and in what regions? If you have not been to the region that the project currently focuses on, what other countries have you been to that could provide similar experience and insight in geographic location to this project?
What sector of work do you specialize in (i.e. WASH, Maternal & Child Health, etc.)? What is your area of expertise?
Questions Both Can Ask:
What research exists outside our region that might apply to our specific context? What makes you believe that those lessons can apply here?
What research exists outside our region that might apply to our specific context? What makes you believe that those lessons can apply here?