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ResearchCommunityGuidetotheGCRF

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Authors

Toprow(lefttoright):AlysonBrody,LoredanaPolezzi,BrettMatulis,IlonaRegulski,RichardFreedman,JasmineBruno,KristopherPoole,AlisonFoster,AndrePiza,SaraPenrhynJones.Bottomrow(lefttoright):CharlesForsdick,RosieHunter,NaomiSykes,RuthBush,KarenSalt.Thosenotincludedinthephotograph:CharlesBurdett,SallyBowden,PaulCooke,HollyMiller,StuartTaberner

Thisdocumentwasco-createdbyallthoseattendingthetwo-dayAHRCworkshopinMarch.Thedelegatesprovidedtextinadvanceof,andafter,themeeting.Theirpresentationsanddiscussionswerefilmedandtranscriptionshavebeenincorporatedintothisdocument.Allhaveprovidedfeedbackandadditionalcontenttoshapetheoutputandarehappytobenamedasauthors.SallyBowden,CentreofAdvancedStudies,UniversityofNottinghamAlysonBrody,independentconsultantonclimatechange,genderanddevelopmentJasmineBruno,InternationalLivestockResearchInstitute,Nairobi CharlesBurdett,SchoolofModernLanguages,UniversityofBristolRuthBush,SchoolofModernLanguages,UniversityofBristolPaulCooke,SchoolofLanguages,CulturesandSocieties,UniversityofLeedsCharlesForsdick,DepartmentofModernLanguagesandCultures,UniversityofLiverpoolRichardFreedman,Director,CapeTownHolocaustCentreAlisonFoster,DepartmentofArchaeology,UniversityofLeicesterRosieHunter,People’sPalaceProjects,QueenMaryUniversityofLondonBrettMatulis,DepartmentofGeography,UniversityofLeicesterHollyMiller,DepartmentofClassicsandArchaeology,UniversityofNottinghamSaraPenrhynJones,DigitalAcademy,BathSpaUniversityAndréPiza,People’sPalaceProjects,QueenMaryUniversityofLondonLoredanaPolezzi,SchoolofModernLanguages,CardiffUniversityKristopherPoole,DepartmentofClassicsandArchaeology,UniversityofNottinghamIlonaRegulski,DepartmentofAncientEgyptandSudan,TheBritishMuseumKarenSalt,CentreforResearchinRaceandRights,UniversityofNottinghamNaomiSykes,DepartmentofClassicsandArchaeology,UniversityofNottinghamStuartTaberner,SchoolofLanguages,CulturesandSocieties,UniversityofLeedsIllustrationsbyMelRamasawmy

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ContentsPreface 4

1. Introduction 5

2. ThePotentialforArtsandHumanitiestoShapeandLeadtheGCRFagenda 6

3. WhatisStoppingArtsandHumanitiesResearchers? 7

4. TheLegacyofColonialism,ImperialismandInterventions 8

5. WhatShouldtheArtsandHumanitiesRepresentinaGCRFContext? 11

6. “BestPractice” 13

6.1-EstablishingandSustainingEqualPartnership 14

6.2Management 17

6.2iCommunication 18

6.2iiTime 19

6.2iiiIncompatibleSystemsandRealities 19

6.2ivTheTeam 22

6.3OutputsandImpact 23

7. Conclusions 23

8. ReferencesandFurtherReading 24

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Preface

TheGlobalChallengesResearchFund(GCRF)wasestablishedbytheUKGovernmentin2016tosupportcollaborativeresearchthataddressesglobaldevelopmentchallengesandimprovestheeconomicprosperity,welfareandqualityoflifeofpeopleinlivinginDevelopmentAssistanceCommittee(DAC)-listedcountries.ThefundrecognisesthattheUN’sSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)requireholisticinterdisciplinaryapproachesthatengagefullywiththerelevantculturalandhistoriccontexts,knowledgebases,creativity,languagesanddiversevoicesandbeliefsinLMICs.Forthisreason,theAHRChasbeenallocated£26millionfortheperiod2016-2020tosupportGCRF-relatedworkandisseekingtoempowerandmobiliseArtsandHumanitiesresearcherstoleadinterdisciplinarycollaborationsusingtheiruniqueskillssets.

TheGCRFrepresentsanopportunityfortheArtsandHumanitiescommunitytoconducthigh-qualityresearchthatalleviatesproblemsin,andsupportsthedevelopmentof,DAClistcountries.ThereisexceptionalpotentialfortheArtsandHumanitiestoleadthiskindofworld-changingresearchand,bysodoing,demonstratethecorevalueandsignificanceofthedisciplinesinvolved.Indeed,thispotentialisalreadybeingmadeclearthroughtheAHRCprojectsfundedviathefirsttrancheofGCRFmonies.Atthesametime,thesepioneerprojectsarehighlightingthatthereisgreaterscopeforbuy-infromthecommunity,forunderstandingandflexibilityfromtheinstitutionsinvolvedwithfacilitatingODA-compliantresearchprojects,andforawarenessfrominternationalagenciesandNGOsabouthowtheArtsandHumanitiescanhelpaddressglobalchallenges.Insum,fortheArtsandHumanitiestodrivetheGCRFagendathereisaneedtobuildexpertise,confidenceandrelationshipsatavarietyofnestedlevels,bothwithinandwithouttheacademy,locallyandinternationally.Tokick-startdialogueandcaptureknowledgefromwhichabaselineofbestpracticecouldbedistilled,theAHRCfundedaGCRFstrategyinitiativethatengagedresearchersandstakeholderswhohadexperienceofrunning,orinvolvementwith,GCRFprojects.TheaimwastoreflectontheaddedvaluethattheArtsandHumanitiescanbringtodevelopmentissuesbutalsotoidentifythehindrancestoresearchandimpact,andconsiderhowthesemightbestbenegotiatedandovercome.Fromthisreflectivediscussion,aseriesofoutputsweregenerated:

i.Case-studyvolume.HighlightingthesignificanceofArtsandHumanitiesdisciplinesforaddressingSDGs,andshowcasingthereachandimpactofAHRC/GCRF-fundedresearch.

ii.Communityguide.AimedatempoweringtheArtsandHumanitiesresearchcommunitybyoutliningthepotential,challengesandpathwaysforAHRC-fundedGCRFresearch.

iii.IntroductiontoDevelopment.Outliningthehistoryandapproachesofdevelopmentstudies.

iv.InstitutionalGuide.SettingoutrecommendationsforenhancingtheambitionandeffectivenessofArtsandHumanitiesGCRFresearch,forinstitutional-levelconsumptionandAHRCpolicyandreportingpurposes.

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1.IntroductionFewresearchprojectsarestraightforwardorreflectpreciselytheplanssetoutinfundingapplications.Researchisdynamic:thingschange,situationsshiftandopportunitiesariseordisappear.Developingandmanagingresearchprojectshasthepotentialtobedeeplychallenging,bothprofessionallyandpersonally.Buttheycanequallybringgreatpersonaljoyandsocialvaluefromthecreationofnewpartnershipsandknowledge,andfromthepositivetransformationsthatresearchcanengender.

IfthesestatementsaretrueofstandardUK-basedresearch,theiraccuracyismagnified(byseveralordersofmagnitude)forGCRFprojects.Theyarebynatureinternational,interdisciplinaryandcomplex,astheirraisond’êtreistotacklesomeofthetoughestproblemsfacinghumanity.Asifthiswerenotdauntingenough,theGCRFagendahasarisenandbeenrolledoutquickly,givingfunders,institutionsand,aboveall,researcherslittletimetoadaptto,orunderstand,thisnewfundinglandscape(ACAI2017).Unsurprisingly,excitement,curiosity,suspicionandanxietyabound.AGooglesearchfor‘GCRF’returnsaplethoraoffundingcallsandinstitutionalbravadostatementsabouthow“GCRF-ready”theyare,andyetthereislittleadviceorsupportavailableforresearchers–particularlythosefromtheArtsandHumanities–whoarecontemplatingthedevelopmentofaGCRFproject.Inpart,thisisbecausethescaleofavailablefundingissolargethatworkingknowledgeoftheGCRFisbeingviewedbymanyinstitutionsasaneconomicresource,desperatelysoughtandcloselyguardedtomaximiseopportunitiesforfinancialreturnastheschemebecomesestablished.Acquiringresearchfundsmaydrivesomeoftheseinstitutionalinitiatives,butastheprocesshasunfurled,ithasalsobecomeapparentthatthescaleofcross-institutional,multi-nationalandinter-agencycooperationandpoliciesthattheseprojectsdemandhavehadtobecreatedadhoc,ratherthancarefullydevelopedandtestedbeforeprojectsgolive.Whatisclearfromallofthisismoreguidanceisneeded.

ThisdocumentsetsouttofilltheGCRFadvicevacuumandlevelthefieldintermsofaccesstobestpracticeknowledge.IthasbeencreatedbyAHRC/GCRF-fundedresearchersfromavarietyofdifferentUKandinternationalinstitutions,specificallyforconsumptionbytheArtsandHumanitiesresearchcommunity.Thecontentderivesfromasix-monthperiodofconsultationduringwhichquestionnairesweresenttotheleadsofAHRC/GCRF-fundedprojectsandaseriesoffollow-upmeetingswereheld,attendedbyacademicsandnon-academicsfromarangeofdisciplinesandbackgrounds.Atwo-dayworkshopprovidedaspaceforsettingoutsomeinitialsharedgoalsfortheAHRCcommunityinthebroadcontextofdevelopment,aswellasyieldinginsightsintospecificissuesthatincludedidentitypolitics,heritage,genderandclimatechange.Discussionswerefrank,asindividualssharedtheiropinionsabout,andexperiencesofinvolvementwith,GCRFresearch.Collectively,commonalitiesanddifferenceswereidentified,betheyintermsofdisciplinaryapproachesorwithregardtovariabilitiesofinstitutionalinfrastructureandsupport.Theneedforcreatingequalpartnershipsinprojectdevelopment,managementandlegacywasalsodiscussedandthesuggestionsthatemergedhavebeenbroughttogetherhere.

ThoseinvolvedinthecreationofthisdocumentareenthusiasticchampionsoftheArtsandHumanitiesandbelievethattheirdisciplinesshouldbeworkingwithotherstoensurethatwearenotonlypartoftheGCRFagenda,butleadingit.Toachievethis,thestrongviewwasthattheArts

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andHumanitiescommunityneededtobemoreconfidentinitsabilitiesandperspectivesbut,perhapsmoreimportantly,touniteandmakeclearwhatArtsandHumanitiesresearchersshouldstandforwithintheGCRFagenda.Itisourhopethatthisdocumentservesasacalltoarmsaswellasprovidingguidance,anddirectiontoexistingliterature,abouthowprojectsmightbeplanned,implementedanddeliveredincircumstancesthatareoftendifficult,domesticallyandabroad.

2.ThePotentialforArtsandHumanitiestoShapeandLeadtheGCRFagendaTraditionally,theArtsandHumanitieshavebeenoverlookedintermsofdevelopment,whichhasoftenbeeneconomicallyfocussedandframedtomeetimmediatepracticalneeds(e.g.food,water,healthandshelter)orstrategicneeds(e.g.education,employmentandskillsbuilding).Withinthisparadigm,priorityhasbeengiventoscientificanalysisofissuessuchasglobalwarming,foodsecurityandwastemanagement;however,itisbecomingincreasinglyapparentthatmanyglobalchallengesaresocietal,politicalandculturalaswellasscientificandthatthebarrierstochangearehistorical,linguistic,social,ideologicalandgender-based.ItisimportanttorecognisethatthesebarriersdonotexistsolelywithinDAClistcountriesbutalsowithinthose“developed”countrieswhoareresponsibleforgeneratinganddistributingaidprogrammes.ThereisapressingneedtorecalibrateapproachestoGlobalChallengesandtocreatebespokesolutionsthatarebothinformedby,anddevelopedin,thesocial,politicalandculturalcontextsinwhichtheywilloperate.Thisiskeytosuccessfulandsustainabledelivery.

TheArtsandHumanitiescommunityhasavitalcontributiontomakeinthisregard.Crucially,thisisnotjustaboutArtsandHumanitiesresearchershelpingwithculturalandlinguisticbarriers,sciencecommunication,andcommunityengagement(althoughtheseareallveryimportantpracticalcontributionsnottobeignored).Giventheskills,expertise,criticalreflectionsandscholarlyfoci,theArtsandHumanitiescanshapeandleadGCRFresearch.

TheArtsandHumanitieshavethepotentialtosettheintellectualagenda,bringrealworldproblemsintorichercontextandsharperfocus,andleadresearchactivitythathelpsaddresstheseglobal,internationaldevelopmentchallenges.TheArtsandHumanitiescanalsoprovidespaceforcriticalreflectiononthemoreintangible,creativeaspectsofhumanexperienceandculturalidentity-expressedthroughculturalpracticessuchasoralhistories,drama,art,story-tellingandculturalheritage-thatarefundamentalaspectsofwell-being.Thecreativityandagencyborneoftryingtomakesenseoftheworldandofhumanrelationshipsis–inmanyrespects–attheheartofthehumanabilitytomakechange.Abetterunderstandingoftheseaspectscaninformtheaspirationtowardsmorerelevant,meaningful,people-focuseddevelopment.

GiventhatArtsandHumanitiesresearchershaveboththepotentialandopportunitytomakeadifference,itissurprisingthatthereisapalpablesenseofreticenceamongstcertainquartersofourdisciplines.Wehavebeeninvestigatingwhythismightbethecase.

“Weknowthesciencearoundglobalwarming/foodsecurity/wastemanagement.Thebarrierstochangeareoftenhistorical/cultural/linguistic.That’swherewecomein.”PaulCooke,UniversityofLeeds

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3.WhatisStoppingArtsandHumanitiesResearchers?

TalkingtotheArtsandHumanitiesresearchcommunity,therearemanyreasonswhyindividualshavebeenreluctanttoengagewiththeGCRFagenda.SomeresearchersarescepticalofthepoliticsbehindtheGCRF—sensingthatthebudgethasbeencreatedthroughare-directionofODA(OfficialDevelopmentAssistance)funds.Thetitleofthegovernment’s(2015)UKAid:TacklingGlobalChallengesintheNationalInterestisexplicitaboutusingthemoneytoserve“thenationalinterest”,whichsomebelievemakecleartheUKgovernment’srationaleforengaginginanddistributinginternationalaid.

Othersaretroubledby,orresentfulof,thefeelingthattheyarebeingrequiredtobendtheirresearchunnaturallyinordertofitfundingstreams.Alternatively,thosewhomightbeinterestedinundertakingGCRFprojectssometimesfinditdifficulttoseehowtheirresearchfocus,whichmaybenarrow,canberesituatedatthescalenecessarytoaddressGlobalChallenges.

FewwithintheArtsandHumanitieshaveexpertiseorabackgroundindevelopmentworkandthereisanunderstandableanxietyamongstindividualsfromourdisciplinesthatweareunqualifiedtoleadGCRFprojects.Atthesametime,researchershaveexpressedanunwillingnesstobepartofprojectsledbyotherdisciplines,fearingthattheyrepresentatokengesture,“aniceartsproject”,attheendofthe“real”science-leddevelopmentwork.

Thismixofscepticism,anxietyandinsecurityis,atageneralisedlevel,acharactertraitofArtsandHumanitiesresearchers,themajorityofwhomarecriticalthinkerswhohavebeenraisedwithinalonescholartradition.However,thereisaburgeoningpopulationofArtsandHumanitiesresearcherswhocanseethepositivepotentialoftheGCRFandarecomfortableworkingcollaborativelywithininterdisciplinaryandinternationalteamstoaddresscomplexsocialandculturalissues(seeCaseStudyvolume).Theirconfidencecomesfromagenuinebeliefaboutthevalueoftheirfieldandtheabilitytoseeitssignificanceinareal-worldcontext.Alongsidethis,theyareempoweredbytherecognitionthattheyarenotrequiredtohaveexpertisebeyondtheirdisciplinaryboundsbutrathertoworkinpartnershipwithotherequallyskilledresearchersfromdifferentfields,countriesandcontexts.Oneoftheadvantagesofworkingacross“distant”

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disciplinesandwithnewpartnersisthatitallowsustolearnfromourdifferenceswhilstsharingourcommonalties,andthatisempoweringtoo.

AlreadytheAHRChasfundedover100interdisciplinaryGCRFprojects.TheseprojectsaredemonstratingthatArtsandHumanitiesresearchersaremorethancapableofusingtheircreativitytoco-producemethodologiesandprogrammesofresearchthatareenhancingthedevelopmentsector.TheyhavealsohighlightedareasthatoughttobeconsideredbyanyresearchersettingoutwithinaGCRFcontext.Perhapsthemostsignificantoftheseconsiderationsisthatofcolonialism.

4.TheLegacyofColonialism,ImperialismandInterventions

Morethananyotherdisciplines,theArtsandHumanitieshaveacuteawarenessofthecolonialpast.ManyrecognisetheirownhistoryasdisciplinesofEmpire,sincetheirfoundingknowledge,associatedcollections,museumsandgalleries,havetheiroriginsin,andhavebenefittedfrom,colonialism.Otherdisciplineshavelonghistoriesofcritiquesofand/orreflectionsonconquest,invasions,rhetoricsof“modernity”andprimitivism,considerationsofdispossession,post-colonialism,thelogicsofracialcapitalismandhumanitarianintervention,tonamebutafewglobalthemesandprocesses.Itis,therefore,unsurprisingthatArtsandHumanitiesresearchershavebeenthequickestandmostvocaltohighlightthatsomeoftherhetoric(e.g.UKAid:TacklingGlobalChallengesintheNationalInterest)andpracticessurroundingGCRFareworryinglyclosetoneo-colonialism(Noxolo2017)andareframedwithoutaclearethicalconsiderationofhowinteractionsbetweenunequalpoliticalbodiesshouldtakeplace.

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OneneedsonlytolookattheDAClisttoseethestartlingcoincidencebetweenthosecountriesinneedofassistanceandthosethatfelt,ormaycontinuetofeel,theimpactofEmpire,occupationandexploitation(seeFig1).Thisissomethingthatweneedtorecogniseandbehonestabout,otherwiseattemptsatdevelopmentwillfailbeforetheystart.Indeed,someexistingin-countrypartnersoncurrentAHRC/GCRFprojectshaveraisedconcernsthattheGCRFisexplicitlyneo-colonial.KnowledgeaboutthehistoryofDevelopmentStudiesexplainswhythismightbethecaseas,bythe1990s,developmenthadbecomesynonymouswithimperialism(seeDevelopmentGuide).

Figure1:CoincidenceofDAC-listcountriesandthe1913mapofcolonialismontheAfricancontinent.

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Thereisariskthat,despitebestintentions,theGCRFmightreplicatethissituationandreproduceinequalitiesratherthansolvethem,whilstatthesametimedehumanisingcommunitiesandpromotinganacademic“whitesaviour”cultureinwhichmoney,leadershipand“answers”flowsfromonenationoutwardstoothernationsinneedofbeingsaved,fixed,helpedordeveloped.Thisis,ofcourse,complicatedbyinequalitiesanddisparitiesobservedwithintheUKthatmayberelatedtocertainSDGgoals.Comingfromacademicinstitutions,asawhole,inwhichtheacademicresearchpopulationisoverwhelminglywhite,thereisthepotentialforGCRFtoseeminglyreplicatethenineteenth-centurynotionofthe“whiteman’sburden”withregardtomissionaryandimperialworkwithincolonialspaces.RelatedtothesequestionsaboutproblematicinequalityandpoweristhetangibleimpactwithinvariouscountriesoftheGCRFpushtoassembleinternationalpartnersandteams.Alreadyitispossibletoobservesomethingofanew“ScrambleforAfrica”(andotherDAClistcountries)asUKinstitutionsseektofindin-countrypartnersinordertocapturesomethingoftheGCRFpot.Thishasresultedinanewcalculusaboutwhowouldmake“good”in-countrypartners,howfiteachmightbetoreceiveUKfundsandhownetworkedthesegroupsmightbein-countrytoenablecapacitybuildingtooccur.Thefearisthatratherthantappingintoawealthofin-countryknowledgeandexpertise,GCRFmightactuallydisplacevariousgroupsandmerelyconcentratepower(andfunds)withincertainpartnersasuniversitiesandindependentresearchorganisationscirclearound“trusted”collaborators.Toavoidtheseemingadoptionofthelogicsandpatternsabove,ArtsandHumanitiesresearchersshouldnotonlyembraceouranxietiesaboutdevelopment,butengageinresearchthatdirectlyhighlightsandcritiquestheneo-colonialhazardswithindevelopmentresearch.

ItisimportanttostressneverthelessthatthereisasimilarlystrongcritiqueofthesepotentialelementsofGCRFfromwithintheDevelopmentStudiescommunity,andthesehaveledtoculturally-focusedandcontextualisedresearchapproachesoftenledbyanthropologistsandthoseincognatefields.ArtsandHumanitiesscholarsare,asaresult,supplementing,supportingandenrichingwhathasalreadybeenemergingwithinthefieldofdevelopment.Awarenessoftheneo-colonialrisksoftheGCRFresearchneedsnotbedebilitating,therefore,anditisequallyimportantthatweavoidproblematizingthesituationtothepointofinaction.Instead,ArtsandHumanitiesresearchersneedtoviewourcriticalityasoneofourgreateststrengths.Ourotherassetsincludeoursustainedandsophisticatedengagementwithhistoricalandgeographicalcontext,withculturalandlinguisticdiversity,aswellaswiththevariousmodesofcommunicationthatthenegotiationofthesecontextsandformsofdiversityrequires.Wepromoteunderstandingofthecomplexhumandimensionsoftheregions,culturesandcommunitiesonwhichGCRFprojectsfocusandintheprocess,exploreconnectionsbetweenpastandpresent,whileseekingtoilluminatetheunresolved

“Inmanypartsoftheworld,‘Development’hasbeenseenasastand-inforcolonialism.IfearnotenoughresearchersfundedundertheGCRFschemewillhaveafirmgroundinginpostcolonialissues.”BretMatulis,DeptofGeography,UniversityofLeicester

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inequalitiesandasymmetriesthatpersistwithinspecificregions.RatherthanmerelybecominganuncriticalagentwithinGCRF,weseeArtsandHumanitiesscholarsasvocalagentsthatcanreframelanguage(s)arounddevelopment,criticallyexaminetheresearchprocesseswithinGCRFprojects,unmasktheethicalencountersthatmaydistortcollaborationsandpartnerships,revealthepoliticalcontextsthatmayhaveshapedmanyofthechallengesbeingfeltwithinDAClistcountriesandtheimpactofanypurported“solutions”toGlobalChallenges.Why?BecausethisisthetypeofworkundertakenbymanywithintheArtsandHumanities.

Ifnothingelse,ourcomparativeandlongueduréeperspectivesallowustohighlightthatcultureschange,arechanging,andwillcontinuetodoso–forthebetterifresearcherswithintheArtsandHumanitieshavetheconfidencetorecognisetheirresponsibilitytotheculturesthattheystudyanddeploytheirskillsandinsightstohelpaddressGlobalChallengesandworkincollaborationtodeliversolutionsthatcontinuetoengagewithourcriticalscholarshipandknowledgesandtheknowledgesalreadywithinthecommunitiesthatGCRFaimstoserve.

Again,thisapproachbuildsonthecontributionsofanumberofSocialScientistswhohavesoughttoapplyperspectivessimilartothese.ThechallengeagainistoidentifythevalueaddedtothisareabyArtsandHumanitiesresearchers:takingseriouslytheimportanceofstoriesandnarrative;adoptingamorehistorically-informedapproach,onethatexplorespastinfluencesandalsochallengesthea-historicalstrandsofmuchpreviousdevelopmentwork;analysingculturalandsocialchange;andshowinghowthewaysinwhichpeoplehaveexplainedorinfluencedthosechangescanbothindicateunderlyingsocialvaluesandnorms,andalsorevealwhatalternativeroutestopositivechangemightworkinfuture.

5.WhatShouldtheArtsandHumanitiesRepresentinaGCRFContext?

ThecomplexcombinedrealitiesofthecolonialandpostcolonialhistoriesofmostDAClistcountries,togetherwithanunderstandingofthecurrentpoliticalmotivationsbehindGCRFfundingandexperienceoftheinstitutionalscrambletocaptureGCRFmoney,mightjustifiablyleaveanyresearcherwithafeelingofqueasiness.Manyofthesecountrieshavemovedfarbeyondthedirectimpactofthecolonialpast,demonstratingstrongcultural,historicalandeconomicidentities,butthequestionthatwemustaskourselvesremains:howshouldwerespondtothisdiscomfort–disengagefromtheGCRFagendaentirely,orembraceitandtrytoinfluenceitscourse?Thelatteris,arguably,amorepositiveresponsebuttoachieveitrequiresaunifiedeffortand,morefundamentally,aconsensusaboutwhatArtsandHumanitiesresearchshouldstandforinthefaceofacomplex,politicalandemotivesourceoffunding.EssentiallyanArtsandHumanitiesGCRF

“Asamuseumcurator,Iaminchargeofagreatcollectionofartefactsthathasbeencollectedandadministeredbycolonialpowers,butlargelyomitstheperspectivesofthecolonisedpeoples.”IlonaRegulski,BritishMuseum.

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missionstatementisneeded,andthiswassomethingdiscussedatlengthduringourworkshop.Allattendeesweretaskedwithwriting100wordsaboutwhattheyfelttheArtsandHumanitiesshouldrepresentinaGCRFcontext,andthetextthatfollowshasbeendistilledfromthesestatements.

FortheArtsandHumanities,developmentmustbehuman-centred,valuing,promotingandprioritisingdiversity.Itmustfocusonensuringthateverypersonhasaccesstoopportunities,canmakefreechoicesandisfreefromdiscriminationandviolenceandlivesalifedefinedbywellbeing,respectanddignity.Tothisextent,theArtsandHumanitiesshouldstandforculturalreflexivityandcriticalintrospection.Weneedtochallengeperceptionsofpassiveculturesthatare“waitingfordevelopment”,orourownassumptionsaboutwhatkindorhowmuchdevelopmentacountryorcommunityneeds.Ourdisciplinescanmoveusbeyondnarrowrepresentationsofneed,aid,andassistancethatmightreproducecolonialpracticesofdisempowerment.

IftheGCRFischallenge-led,focussedaroundso-calledwickedproblems,thenoneofthemostimportantcontributionsoftheArtsandHumanitiesisthatofpraxis;theon-goingcycleofthought,action,criticalreflection,andfurtheractionthatconstitutesmanyofourdiscipline—aprocessthatnaturally,andnecessarily,includesawideningoftheinternationaldevelopmentdialoguetovaluecontributionsfromaswideaspectrumofartsandhumanitiessubjectdisciplinesandapproachesaspossible.

Collaborativeworkingpracticesthatpromotecreativityandtheabilitytoco-designandco-producesolutionsiterativelyshouldbeattheheartofAHRC-ledGCRFresearch.Creativityisintegraltotheprocessofdevelopmentastobehumanistobecreative,andthatiswhatenableschange.Thisisespeciallythecasewherecreativeparticipatoryandwhataresometimescalled“action”approaches–artworks,literature,films–canamplifyvoicesworkingtowardaparticularissue,problemortheme,akeyelementoftheroutetowardsgreatersocialjustice,betterformsofempathyacrossspaceandtime,andmoreresponsiblemodesoflivingonasharedplanet.InviewofboththecentralityofeducationtotheSDGsandthestructuralandinstitutionaldisparitiesthatpersistwhenworkingwithpartners(especiallyHEinstitutions)locatedintheMajorityWorld,theArtsandHumanitiesarealsowell-placedtoaddresstheintersectionsbetweenresearchandpedagogyinproductiveandimaginativeways.Asagroup,ArtsandHumanitiesresearchersneedtobebothboldandproactiveinourdialoguewiththeSciencesandSocialSciences,makingsurethatarecognizableArtsandHumanitiesdimensionisbuiltintocross-disciplinaryprojectsfromthestart.Howcanresearchhaveanimpactonsocialcohesionwithoutthinkingabouthistoryandheritage?Howcanweachieveeffectivecommunicationinareassuchashealthortheenvironmentwithouttakingintoaccountthepowerofnarrativityandthemany,culturallyinflectedformswhichstory-tellingtakes?Andhowcanweworkacrosscultureswithoutacknowledgingthemultiplicityoflanguagesandtheroleoftranslation?Inconsideringthesequestions,wecomeclosertoestablishingbestpractice.

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6.“BestPractice”

WithinaGCRFcontext,theconceptof“bestpractice”islargelyafallacy.Therealworldofdevelopmentworkisfullofcomplexity,interdependencyandnonlinearity.Theideathatasingle,centrally-controlledapproachcanbesuccessfullyreplicatedinanycontextisafantasy,albeitonethatisoftenseductivetoresearchers,fundersandgovernmentswhowanttoreduceriskandcalculateimpactandreach.Ratherthanminimisingproblems,theimpositionofrigidsystemsincreasestheriskofprogrammesfailingthroughculturalmismatchorrejection,andmayactivelyreinforceinequalitiesinpowerstructures,ratherthancombatthem—significantlyimpactingfuturesustainabilityofanypossiblechange-making,innovation,understandingorcreativesolution.

This,ofcourse,chimeswithmessagesfromthefrontline,suchasMaramisetal.(2011),intheirreviewofMentalHealthinSouthEastAsia,citingmaternalmentalhealthasabarriertoachievingUNSDGs,butcriticisingtheparachutinginof“offtheshelf”solutionsfromestablished,butdislocated,researchprogrammes.Whilstthereareno“offtheshelf”solutionstoGlobalChallenges,therearesomeoverarchingprinciplesandvaluesthatcanbeobserved.Perhapsthemostimportantistovaluespecificityineverythingwedo,whilstfindinganappropriatebalancebetweensuchanemphasisonthespecificandtheaspirationto“scalabilty”thatcharacteriseslarge-scaledevelopmentprogrammes.Thedifferencebetweentheidealandtherealityisalinethatdevelopmentresearchersandpractitionershavetowalkallthetime:inthiscase,advocatingtoomuchspecificitydoesnotyieldresultsthatcanbeadaptedorscaledup,andoveremphasisingthisaspectcouldthusbelimitationoftheoutcomeoftheresearchWeshouldmakesurethatweareexploringtheparticularsensitivities,challengesandopportunitiesthatthisparticularengagementisgeneratingwithinourworkingenvironments.Theseaspectsarenotnecessarilyimpedimentstoaddressingchallenges,butarecentraltotheethicalunderpinningsofsuchworkandresonatewithhowweformulatequestionsofpartnershipsandtheco-designofourprojects.

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Thereisalsoaneedforreflexivity.WeshouldconsiderourownmotivationsforembarkingonGCRFresearch,forwithoutgenuinecommitmenttoaddressingSDGsthroughresearch,thereisahigherriskthatprojectswillfailwhenproblemsariseorbecomedifficulttomanage.Projectsandpartnershipsmustbeenteredintowithhumilityandwitharecognitionthattheglobalnorthdoesnotpossessall,ornecessarilyany,ofthesolutionsbut,rather,mayhaveplayedapastorcurrentroleinperpetuatingtheproblem.Wemustnavigatetheterrainofrepresentation,positionality,voiceandintentionalitywithcareandahighlevelofself-reflection.ItisimportanttobeawareofourownpositionalityasaresearcherrepresentingUK-basedinstitutions,andthewaysinwhichtheseaffectyourownsubjectivity.Towhatextentdoyourownassumptions,culturalnorms,history,ethnicidentityandgenderaffectyourunderstandingofthepeople,practices,placesandissuesyouareengagingwith?Itmaybehardtomitigateagainstthese,oftenunconscious,biasesbutitisimportanttoacknowledgethemwhenyouarebeginningaproject,gatheringinformation,analysingyourdataandwritingupyourresearch.Thebestwaytobesensitiveistolisten–anartinitsownright–tothosethatyouareworkingwithandrecognisethemasequalpartnersintheresearch.Itisalsocriticaltoreflectonthepositionofyouruniversity,yourorganisationandthe“nationalinterests”oftheUK.Again,thisisacomplexterrain,butnooneshouldenterintothisspacewithoutclearlythinkingthroughhowbesttowork,craft,thinkandpracticethetypeoftransformativeresearchthatdrivesmanyofustowanttoworkwithandlearnfromcommunitiesaroundtheworld.6.1EstablishingandSustainingEqualPartnership

SustainableDevelopmentGoal17emphasisesthatalltheotherSDGsrelyonpartnershipfortheirachievement.Forthisreason,arecentpublicationbyUKCDSBuildingPartnershipsofEquals:theroleoffundersinequitableandeffectiveinternationaldevelopmentcollaborations(Dodson2017)providesextensiveguidanceaboutpartnershipmodelsandadviceaboutworkingpractices.Theirfindingswillnotberehearsedhere,especiallysincethedocumentisfreelydownloadable;however,itwaswrittenforascience-basedaudience(theword“culture”ismentionedjustonce–MinistryofEducation,Culture&Science)andthereis,therefore,scopetoconsiderthesubjectfromanArtsandHumanitiesperspective.

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TheGCRFactivelyencouragesapartnershipapproachtothedesignandimplementationofresearchprojects,notingthatthelikelihoodofscaleandimpactisincreasedifstakeholdersthatareclosetotheproblemareactivelyinvolvedintheresearch.Butintherushtoestablishpartnershipsweareoftenneglectingtoasksomeverybasicquestionsaboutwhatwehopetoachievethroughthesepartnershipsandhowtheyshouldwork.Thereisoftenanassumptionthatallthoseinvolvedinapartnershiphaveaprior,sharedunderstandingofgoalsandpractice,butthisisoftennotthecase.Differentstakeholderscanhaveverydifferentperceptionsofthepurposeoftherelationship,whichcanhaveaknock-oneffectforitstransformationalpotential.Evenwhenresearchersarekeentofosterpartnershipsgroundedinequalityanddemocraticprinciples,unspokenhierarchiesofpower–betweenGlobalNorthandGlobalSouthinstitutions,betweenholdersandreceiversofbudget,betweenlanguages,betweenculturalgroups,between“expert”knowledgeandlocalknowledge,betweenfundingprioritiesandlocalrealities–regularlyderailtheseideals.

Oftensuchpowerdynamicsareinvisibletothosewithinthembutsomecanbeextremelyovert,perhapsthemostobviousofthesebeinglanguage.Communicationchallengesandmisunderstandingsarefrequentenoughinprojectswhereallpartnersshareacommondialect,butintheGCRFcontext,wherelanguageisanaddedbarriertocommunicationthismustalsobeconsideredintermsofpowerbalance.Thetransmissionandtranslationofresearchandinformationmustbeconsideredinordernottoreplicatelinguisticpowerdynamics,suchascoloniallanguagepracticesthatmayhavesuppressedlocallanguageforms.ProjectsthatprivilegeEnglishorothercoloniallanguages,disadvantagethosecultureswhodonotspeakthem,reducingaccesstoandsuccessinGCRFresearch.

AttentiontolinguisticdiversitymustbeaprioritywhenworkinginGCRFcontextswheremultilingualismisoftenthenormbutthepowerdifferentialbetweenlanguagesisextremelymarked.Researchersneedtobealerttotheimplicationsoftheirownlinguisticpracticesforsocialcohesion,theaccessibilityoffindings,andtheoveralldemocratizing(orotherwise)effectsofresearchprojects.Translationisacrucialtooltoalleviatesuchproblems,butitmustnotbeunderstoodasatransparentandneutralpractice,norasaneasysolutiontocommunicationissues.Ultimately,allGCRFprojectsmustsetouttoavoid“languageindifference”andtoincorporateanunderstandingoftranslationandmultilingualismasmuchasculturalandpoliticalaslinguisticpractices.

ManyArtsandHumanitiesdisciplines,eventhosethatpurporttostudyinternationalandtransnationalphenomena,revealanindifferencetolinguisticvariability.ThesetendenciesreflecttheuseofEnglishasalinguafrancainmuchinternationalresearch,atrendreflectedintheAnglocentrismofmuchscholarlypublishing.ProgrammessuchastheAHRC’s“TranslatingCultures”

“ThereisthehazardofthemyththattheEnglishlanguagewillliftpeopleoutofpoverty.Peopleneedtoaskthemselvesthequestion:whatareyoudoingaboutlanguage?Ifwedothat,everythingshiftsinthelandscape”LoredanaPolezzi,CardiffUniversity.

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themehaverecentlychallengedallresearcherstobemoresensitivetolanguageinthedesignandconductoftheirwork,andthisapproachisparticularlyimportantforGCRFprojects.EquitablepartnershipshouldfactorinthemultilingualrealitiesofmanyODArecipients,andtheco-designofresearchshouldpaycloseattentiontothelanguagesinwhichresearchwillbecarriedoutanddisseminated.Thismightmeanincludingresearcherswithspecificlanguageskillsorfactoringintheneedforlanguagetraining.Itisalsolikelytoentailtheinclusionofresourcefortranslationandinterpreting.Finally,carefulattentionshouldbepaid–andinformedlocaladvicetaken–aboutthelanguagesinwhichthefindingsofresearchshouldbebestshared.

Anothermajorproblemindevelopingequalpartnershipsisthatdevelopmentasweknowittodaytendstobedrivenbysupplyratherthandemand.Whenseekingdevelopmentpartnerships,researchersoftengravitatetowardsNGOsastheirmoreformalstructuresmeantheyareeasytoestablishrelationshipswithwhenthereispressuretoachieveresultsinashortspaceoftime.NGOsoftenmakeexcellentresearchpartners,especiallywhentheyareworkingatthecommunitylevelandhavebuiltrelationshipsoftrustwithlocalpeople.However,theirbureaucraticstructuresandpre-determinedprioritiesmeantheymaybelessagileandresponsivetoemergingissuesthanlessformalcivilsocietygroupsandsocialmovements.Thesesmallergroupsoftencoalescearoundurgentsharedconcernsandengageaffectedpeopledirectlyintheircampaigns.Workingwithgroupssuchasthesemaybemorechallengingbuttherearealsogreaterrewardsintermsofunderstandingthestrugglesofordinarymenandwomen,andtheiractiveparticipationinaddressingthem.

Thenotionofco-producingknowledgeiscentraltomanypartnerships,withtheaimofrepresentinglocalperspectivesandconcerns.Yetthereisoftenadissonancebetweenprovidingspaceformarginalisedsouthernvoicestosharetheirknowledgeandidentifytheirneeds;andtheperceptionofwhatconstitutesrigorous,credibleevidence.Sohowcanweachieveabetterbalancebetweenthedemandsofproducing“harddata”andmetricstodemonstrateresultsofresearch,andrepresentingthemoreexperientialbutnolessvalidknowledgeofresearchparticipants?1

Onewayinwhichtobegindiscussingthemisbyconsideringsimilarcircumstancesandproblemsthatareremoved,eitherbytimeorspace.TheArtsandHumanitiesareparticularlywellplacedtoachievethisandsuchanapproach–highlightingandlinkingcommonalitiesacrosscultural,geographicalortemporalcontexts–cannotonlyhelpaddressdifficultissuesinamorepalatableandengagingway,itcanalsobeacreativemechanismofbringingaboutchangeandempowerment.

EmpowermentandcapacitybuildingarekeyaspectsoftheGCRFbutweneedtobeawareoftheunexpectedconsequencesofshiftingpowerwithincommunities,especiallyinplaceswhereinfrastructureandpoliticsaremurky.Engagementsneedtograpplewithhowwemanagepartnerships.Forexample,researchersmustthinkcarefullyabouttheirestablishedandemergingpartnershipswithinthelargercontextofGCRF,giventhelengthandscaleofthisinvestmentandtheincreasingpushforUK-basedinstitutionstoworkwithLDCs.Wemustalsocontinuetothink1 Thesecommentsaredrawnfromanonlineconference“DecolonisingDevelopment:WhoseVoice,WhoseAgenda”,hostedbyUniversityofLeedsandINTRAC,May2017.

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aboutandacknowledgethewiderpoliticalcontextwithinwhichourprojectsemerge.ODAeligibilityisnotasimpleprocessandinvolvescalculationsthatcanbringnewnationsintothisterrainandpushoutothers.

Thereisalsoneedfor“two-waycapacitybuilding”whichgivesspaceforinnovativelearningandre-educationofnorthern/globalactors,aswellasallowingresearchers,staffworkingindevelopmentorganisationsandlocalcommunitiesactivelytodefineandleadtheirownresearchanddevelopmentagendas.AParticipatoryActionLearningapproach(seeDevelopmentGuide)allowsresearcherstopositionthemselvesasfacilitators,providinganenvironmentforgroupstoreflectcriticallyonwhattheymightalreadybedoingwellintermsofthinkingabout,forinstance,genderissuesandequityconcernsintheirplanningandimplementation.Itprovidesspacetothinkabouthowtoimproveandsystematisethesegoodpractices,aswellasidentifyinggapsinknowledgeandcapacity.Thiskindofprocesscanhelpbuildconfidenceamongstaff,whoareabletorecognisetheirownexpertise.Justassignificantlyitcandramaticallyincreaseunderstandingofeffectivestrategiesforworkingwithpartnergroups.

Insum,thereareafewtake-homemessagesaboutestablishingpartnerships.

• Taketimetochooseappropriateresearchpartnersandtodeveloparelationshipoftrustthatwillenableeffectiveco-production.WorkingwithlocalgroupsinadditiontolocalresearchinstitutionsandlargerNGOscouldenabledeeperinsightsintoissuesofpovertyandinequalitythatyourworkcould/shouldbeengagingwith.

• Donotpresumecommongroundormutualunderstanding.Cross-culturalresearchmustoftengrapplewithquestionsofopacity,misunderstandingandeventhefailuretomakesense.

• Establishatheoryofchangeandplanaccordingly:identifyfromtheoutsetwhatchangeyouwouldlikeyourresearchtocontributeto.Ifpossibleconsultinparticipatorywayswithcommunitiesandindividualsinthecontextwhereyourworkwilltakeplacetounderstandwhatchangestheywouldliketoseeandhowyoucouldworktogethertoenablethosechanges.

• Considerfromthestarthowyouwilltakeintoaccountanygenderdimensionsaswellasintegratingissuesofraceandotherformsofdifference(takinganintersectionalapproach)acrossyourwork.

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6.2Management

TalktoanyGCRFPrincipalInvestigatorandtheywilltellyouthattheonecertaintyofrunningaprojectisthatlittlewillgoaccordingtoplan:peoplegetsick,theirvisasaredenied,travelcanbedisruptedbytechnologicalfailure,climaticeventsorcivilunrest.Youneedtobeawarethatthingswillgowrong.Tobeabletomanagethis,itisimportantthat,whereverpossible,flexibilityisfactoredintoyourprojectdesign.Thismaybeintermsofresearchquestions(whichwilllikelychangeasyourresearchdevelopswithyourin-countrypartnersontheground),activities(whichcanchangeinresponsetoshiftingsituations)oroutputs(especiallywherequestionsandactivitieshavechanged).Someresearchersfeeluneasyaboutexpressinguncertaintyintheirapplications,fearingthatitlooksweakandwillreducetheirchancesofgettingfunding.However,ourexperiencesuggestthatpanelslookmorefavourablyonbidsthatareopenabouttheirflexibleapproach,solongastherationaleismadeclearly,confidentlyandbyateamwithatrackrecordofdelivery,oratleastthereisevidencetosuggestthattheywillbecomesuchateam.WebelievethatoneofthegreatstrengthsofGCRFresearch(particularlyincomparisontostandarddevelopmentwork)isthatthereiscapacitytobuildintoprojectsflexibilityandeventhepotentialforfailure,thelatterbeingimportantgiventhattherearemanyaspectsofGCRFresearchthatlendthemselvestofailure.6.2iCommunicationQuestionsoflanguageandtranslationhavealreadybeenraisedwithregardstothedevelopmentofequitablepartnership(Section6.1);however,withinaGCRFcontextthereareproblemsofcommunicationbeyondlanguage.Perhapsmostsignificantishowprojectsandteammembersstayintouchwhentheyarelocatedindifferentcountries.WithintheGlobalNorththereisatendencytorelyontechnologyforcommunication–mobilephones,email,Skype–butthesemaynotavailableorreliablewithintheGlobalSouth.InmostDAClistcountries,itisusuallypossibletoemploycertaincommunicationtechnologiesbutthoughtshouldbegiventothepossibilitythatsuchtechnologieswillfail.Whathappensifyoucannotcontactyourteam?Whatplansareinplacetoensuretheresearchprogresses?Thereisnosubstituteforface-to-facemeetingsandourrecommendationisthatsignificanttimeandbudgetiscostedintoprojectstoenablethemaximumamountofcollaborativeworktobeundertakentogether,inperson.Lackofcommunicationwithinanyresearchprojectcanoftenleadtofrictionandmisunderstanding.GiventhatthetempoofGCRFisoftenhighlyvariable(sometimesveryslow,othertimeschanging

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momenttomoment)allteammembersneedtorecognisetheirresponsibilitytobetransparent,providingfrequentupdatesabouttheiractivitiesandfindings.Withoutfreecommunication,thereisariskthatrelationshipsbetweencolleaguesmaybecometenseand,moreimportantly,thatopportunitiesforcross-fertilisationofknowledgearelost.Breakdownincommunicationcanoccurforanynumberofreasonsbutoneoftheseistime.6.2iiTimeThissingleword–time–encompassesavarietyofthebiggestissuesinGCRFresearch.Atthemostbasiclevel,teamsareoftenworkingindifferentphysicaltimezones,whichcanhampereventhebestattemptsatcommunication.However,evenmorefundamentally,therearefrequentlydifferencesintimeperception.Thisisunsurprisinggiventhattimeissocialconstructthatisshapedbyculturalandlinguisticforces(e.g.Ancona2001;Fuhrmanetal.2011).Ithastobeexpected,therefore,thatprojectsworkingacrosscultures–beitindifferentglobalregions,academicversusadministrativecultures,orthoserelatingtoHEversusnon-HEstatus–willencounterdifferentnotionsoftime.Varianceintimeperceptionisawell-knownproblemofcollaborativeresearchbetweenHE/non-HEorganisationsbutitismagnifiedinGCRFprojectsbecausethelogisticsofprojectmanagementinvolvemanymoreindividuals,organisationsandadministrativeunitsthanaregenerallyrequiredforstandardresearchprojects.Conditionsaremadeworsebytheadditionaltime-pressureinherentofGCRFfundingschemes,whichhave,todate,requiredrapidresponse,turnaroundanddeliveryinordertomeetimposeddeadlinesandtargets.Oftenthesetime-relatedissuescancoalescetogeneratenewproblems.Forinstance,withoutsufficientlead-intime,theproductionofofficialdocumentationtogainvisasorotherkindsofpermissionscanbedifficult.Thisisparticularlythecasewhereinstitutionalproceduresareridgedorcumbersome,whichinturneitherincreasesthetime-lagforperformingtasksorplacesadditionalpressureonalreadyoverburdenedadministrators.Solutionstosuchscenariosarenotstraightforwardastheyare,themselves,theproductofmanagementcultures.Itisourbeliefthat,inmuchthesamewaythatGCRFprojectsrequireco-production,collaborationandflexibility,thesameistruefortheiradministration.Together,researchersandtheirinstitutionsneedtocreateenvironmentsthatfacilitateflexibility.Whilstthisistheidealsituation,therearehurdlestoachievingsuchcollaborativestates.6.2iiiIncompatibleSystemsandRealitiesAspartofourconsultationprocess,wetalkednotonlywithacademicsinvolvedwithGCRFprojectsbutalsowiththeadministratorswhoshouldermuchofthelogisticalburden.Theclearmessage,fromnearlyallconcerned,isthatexistingprocessesareunfittosupportthecomplexitiesandtimedemandsofGCRFresearch.Thisisunderstandable,sinceuniversitiesandotherresearchorganisationsarenotdevelopmentagenciesand,likemostArtsandHumanitiesresearchers,academicinstitutionshavelittleknowledgeofODAcomplianceorexperienceworkinginDAClistcountries.Inthemain,institutionalprocedureshavebeenestablishedtoaccommodateresearchandtravelwithintheGlobalNorth.Astheseprocessedhavebeenfitforpurposetodate,therehasbeenlittleincentiveforinstitutionstochangethemandtheyareoftendeeplyentrenched;however,GCRFresearchrepresentsadifferentlandscapeandrequiresnewapproaches.

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Ethicsareanincreasingconcernwithinallinstitutionsbutmanyethicsboardsandprocedureshavebeenestablishedwiththesciencesinmind,formedicalresearchoranimaltesting.WhilstArtsandHumanitiesethicsboardshavesomeexperiencewithregardstooralhistories,mostareillequippedtodealwiththecircumstancesofhumanitarianaid.YetethicsisacentralelementofplanningforGCRFprojects.Indeed,fundingbodieshaveexpectationsthatprojectscomingintothisvolatiledevelopmentspacewillconsiderethicsatarangeofnestedlevels.Thatsaid,thereiscurrentlynoRCUKprocessinplacetoencourageethicsplanninginabroadersense.Ourrecommendationisthatethicsistreatedasoneofthekeyareastodiscussearly,andindetail,atprojectplanningstage,makingsureitisreallythoughtthrough.Itisnotsufficienttogiveagenericstatementsuchas“myinstitutionhaspolicyinplaceconcerningtheprotectionofsubjects,issuesofconsentandtheuse/re-useofdata”onlytodiscoverlaterthattherearehugeproblems.Projectsneedtotakeseriouslytheprocessesandimpactoftheirwork,considerhowbesttoenterintoalandscapeofsignificantimbalances—andnotamplifythetensions.Questionsthatneedtobeaskedinclude:

1) Howareyouworkingtodealwithgender,powerimbalances,andwithdisplacedcommunities?

2) Whatisthechildprotectionframeworkinthecountryyouareworkingin?Howwillyouplantocomplywithyourorganisation’schildprotectionpolicyif(forexample)DBSchecksforruralworkersinanoverseascountryareverysloworimpossibletoobtain?

3) Howdomanagementstructures,researchaims,scopeandprocessesneedtochangeinordertokeepethicscentraltoprojects?

4) HowwillkeepingequalityandequityattheforefrontimpacttheWAYofworking?

Itisalsoimportanttoconsiderthepossibilitythatprojectsmightpotentiallydoharmtotheverygroupsthattheyseektohelp.Forinstance,projectsthataimtoempowerwomenmayriskariseinfemale-directedviolenceor,asThompson(2011)hasstated“someprojectsthatclaimtobetherapeuticaredamaging…therighttosilenceisforgottentooofteninthepressureplacedonmanycommunitiestospeakout”. Suchunintendedconsequencesneedtobethoughtthrough,andinsomeways,theyshouldcomprisepartoftheriskassessment.Risk.AclearunderstandingofriskisfundamentaltoGCRFprojectsanddetailedconsiderationmustbegiventoensuringthewell-being–bothphysicalandmental–ofallconcernedintheresearch. Itisimportanttogatheranddisseminatethecontactdetailsoftheteammembersandemergencynumbers(UKandin-country)alongwithmedicalinformation,contactsforlocalhospitalsandembassies.ItisadvisabletofollowtheFCOwebsite,tomakesurethatteammembersaretrainedinfirst-aid,andthateverybodyhasappropriateinsurance.Generally,thisinformationiscollatedaspartofstandardriskassessmentprocedures.However,arecurringproblemisthatmanyinstitutionsadoptoverlycomplicated(butnotalwaysvaluable)riskassessmentprocedures.Forexample,riskassessmentsareoftenjudgedbypeople(e.g.,academicswhohavemovedintolong-termadministrativeroles)whohavenoknowledgeorexperienceofworkinginDAClistcountriesandare,therefore,lessqualifiedtomakejudgementsthantheresearchersubmittingtheassessment.Insomecases,thisrenderstheprocesslittlemorethananexerciseinbureaucracy.Thisisevenmorethecasewhereuniversitiesandotherresearchorganisationsrequirethepaperworktobecompletedwellinadvanceofanytravel,aswhilstitispossibletoplanactivities

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andanticipatepotentialassociatedrisks,asingledocumentisunlikelytocapturetherealityofin-countryresearch.Ourrecommendationisthatriskassessmentsneedtomovebeyondspecificactions“thepredictedriskisXandwewilldoYtomitigate/reduce/manageit”toamuchmorerealisticacknowledgementthatriskscanchangefastandunpredictably.Whenworkinginanunstableareasuchasashantytownorinaconflictpronearea,thelocalcommunity’ssituationisveryspecificandFCOtraveladvicewillnotbegranularenoughtoadviseyouonrisks:youwillneedlocalpartnerswhoknowtheterritorywell.“Theprojectteamwillassessriskindialoguewithpartnersatdailymeetingsandrespondaccordingly”isamorehonestandusefulriskmanagementpracticethantryingtodescribeinadvanceablanketrisklevelandpracticesforworkinginaparticularcommunity.Thisisnottosuggestthatriskassessmentsshouldnotbeundertaken,quitetheopposite.Webelievetheriskassessmentprocessshouldbecomeacentraldiscussiontoolwithyourteamtoengagethemwiththinkingaboutthehealth&safety,ethical,financialandgovernanceriskstheymayencounterduringtheproject.Donotidentifyonepersontocompleteitandletitsitinadrawer,orfeelthattheteammustfollowtheactionsthedocumentspecifieswithoutreflectingonthesituationtheyseearising. FinancesareasignificantconsiderationforGCRFprojectsas,alongsidenormalday-to-daybudgetarymanagement,thereisanadditionalrequirementthatallspendisODA-compliant.Noneoftheworkshopparticipants,orothersthatweconsulted,hadfoundfinancestobeaninsurmountableproblem;however,thereweresomecommonissues,andsolutions,thatwereidentified.Themostfrequentlyencounteredproblemistheincompatibilitybetweenuniversityfinancialsystems,whicharereceipt-based,andtherealityofin-countrypurchases,whichmaybefromstreetmarketsorhouseholdswheretradersmightbeilliterateandthereisnoconceptofreceipts.Theeasiestsolutionistocarrypersonalreceiptbooksandlogallpurchasesthataremade.ThisisadvisablenotonlybecauseithelpstheadministratorsofuniversityfinancesbutalsobecauseitisusefulevidencetodemonstrateODAcompliance.Someresearchershavenotedproblemsofreconciliationbetweenthespendoncashadvancesandthereceiptsobtained.Forinstance,theremaybe“problemsoftranslation”,eitherliterally(becausenoteverythingwillbeinEnglish)orfiguratively.Byexample,averypopulardrinkinNamibiaisa“rockshandy”:water,lemonade,ice,andthreedropsofangostura.Itisextremelygoodfordehydration,butfinancialofficeshavebeenknowntoqueryallthereceiptsthinkingthatitwasanalcoholicdrink.

Suchissuesareeasilyovercomebutsignificantproblemscanemergewhereinstitutionsfollowfinancialmodelsthatrequiretransactionscanonlybemadeto“approvedsuppliers”,thepaperworkforwhichcantakeweekstoestablishandapprove.TherequirementsforapprovedsuppliersisoftenunworkableinaDAClistcountry,especiallywithinthe,oftentight,time-framesofGCRFresearch.Thisreturnsustotheall-importantissueof“time”,whichcanhavesignificantimpactsonfinances. DuetothesizeandstructureofmanyUKuniversities,bureaucraticproceduresofteninvolveapprovalandsign-offfromdifferentunitswithintheinstitution,generallywithlittlecommunicationtakingplacebetweentheseunits.Insomecases,onestageofaproject(e.g.riskassessments)mustbeapprovedbeforeotherstagescanbeactioned(e.g.travelbookings).Ifeachunitrequiresalead-

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intimeof,onaverage,twoweeks,thisnotonlyhampersprojectprogressbutcanalsoleadtoincreasedcosts.Forinstance,thepriceofairplaneticketstendstoincreaseclosertothedateoftravel:theymaybea£150differentbetweenbuyingtickets1monthor2weeksinadvance,asumthatcouldbebetterusedin-country.Mostimportantly,itneedstoberecognisedthattime-lagscausedbyUKinstitutionscandelaypaymentstoin-countrypartners,whichinturnrunstheriskofreducingvitalgoodwill.Thereare,ofcourse,manyexamplesofgoodpractice.Smallerinstitutionsinparticulararemuchmoreagileandtheirresearchershavereportedexcellentsupportandswiftturn-aroundonpaperworkandapproval.Thestrongmessageisthat“SmallisBeautiful”andourrecommendationisthatinstitutionsshouldbeprovidingbespoke,agileadministrativesupportspecialisinginthedeliveryofODAcompliantprojects.Wherethisisnotpossible,researcherscanbegintocreatesuchanenvironmentbycostingadedicatedprojectadministratorintotheirteam,sothatthereisamemberofstaffknowledgeableabout,andabletonegotiate,institutionalprocedures.Wherethereisinsufficientroominthebudgetforaprojectadministrator,PIsandotherresearchersshouldtakethetimetoprovideuniversityadministratorswithinformationabouttheproject,itspartnersandaims.Bysodoing,abstractpaperworkistransformedintoamorerelatablehumanstoryandadministratorscanfeelmoreengagedintheprocess,becomingpartoftheteam.6.2ivTheTeamDifferentteamswillhavedifferentmake-ups,dependingontheprojectdesign.RCUKrequiresthatprojectsareledbyaneligibleUK-basedPIbut,beyondthis,thereisconsiderableflexibilityandPIshavethecapacitytocreateteamswithlargescalein-countryrepresentation.In-countrypartners.Assetoutinsection6.1,allprojectsshouldstrivetowardsequalpartnership.Thismeansthatin-countrypartnersshouldtakealeadonprojectdesignandhelpco-createresearchquestionsandaims.Theauthenticityofpartnershipissomethingthatresearchcouncilswillincreasingly,andquitecorrectly,belookingtocheck.Itisnotacceptablethatpartnersareusedsimplytofacilitatein-countrylogistics(e.g.tobookaccommodationandtransport).Whereverpossible,projectsshouldbeco-directedbyin-countrypartnersandanysteeringcommitteesshouldhaveequalin-countryrepresentation,withthoughtgiventotheethicssurroundingappointmentstosuchcommittees.Post-doctoralresearchers.ResearchcouncilsarekeentoseeGCRFprojectsrunbyearlycareerresearchers,withPDRAsbeinggivenencouragementtotakeleadershippositions.Certainly,thereisaneedtotrainthenextgenerationtoworkinaGCRFcontext;however,giventhelogisticalissuesandpotentialproblemsinherentinGCRFresearch,wefeelthatitisunwisetogivetoomuchresponsibilitytoUK-basedPDRAsbeforetheyhavegainedsufficientin-countryexperience.Similarly,in-countryrecruitedPDRAswillrequireexperienceofnavigatingthestructuresandexpectationsofUKHigherEducation.PhDstudents.ItisnotpossibletocostPhDstudentshipsintomostRCUKresearchprojects;however,ifthedesireforGCRFprojectsis,inpart,tocapacitybuild,wefeelthattheprovisionofPhDstudentshipsisagoodmethodforachievingthis.Ourrecommendationisthat,whereverpossible,UK-basedprojectPIs/Co-Isshouldapproachtheirinstitutionsattheprojectplanningstage,requestingsupportintheformofinternationalPhDstudentships.Ifsuccessful,thesePhD

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studentsshouldberecruitedin-country,incollaborationwithpartnerorganisations.Adequatecostsshouldbeincludedtoenablethestudenttotravelbetweeninstitutionsandcountries,gainingthemaximumamountoftrainingthatwill,ultimately,benefittheDAClistcountry.6.4OutputsandImpactWithinmainstreamdevelopmentwork,thereisanincreasingemphasisondemonstratingresultsandimpact,whilstatthesametimediminishingacceptanceofprojectsthatfailtoachievethegoalsanticipatedintheirinitialplanning.Concernsoverjeopardisingfuturefundingmeansthatvitallessonsaboutwhatdidnotworkandwhyaretoooftennotbeingshared,leadingtotheduplicationofthesamemistakes.PartoftheadvantageofGCRFresearchprojectsisthatthereismorescopeforreflectingon“failures”aswellassharingsuccessstoriesfromyourresearch.Indeed,muchoftheguidancepresentedinthisdocumentderivesfromlessonlearnt,discussedandshared:thisdocumentrepresentsanoutputfromGCRFresearchthatwehopewillhaveanimpactoffutureprojects.Nevertheless,GCRFapplicationsaredesignedtobringaboutchangeandfundersdowishtoquantifythis.Atpresent,mostquantificationmethodsarefarfromideal.Theimpactframeworkistoooftensetbycommonlyagreed(econometric)indicatorsusedbyfundersandgovernment,withimpactassessedrelativetothegoalssetoutinprojectplans.Suchapproachestoquantificationdonotaccountproperlyforsocially(asopposedtoeconomically)valuableeffects,takelittleaccountoftheperspectivesofthecommunitywheretheworkishappening,andgivelessweighttounintendedpositivesthatarethenaturalresultofworkthatissensitivelyundertakenindialoguewithpartnersinresponsetochangingcontexts.ThereisscopeforArtsandHumanitiesprojectsnotonlytohighlighttheproblemsinherentinexistingsystemsofimpactassessment,butalsotohelpdevisealternativeformsofmetric.Thisisparticularlyimportantbecause,insomecases,pressuretodemonstrateimpactasaconditionoffundingisplacingadditionalburdenonpartners(e.g.theymayberequiredtospendtimecapturingdataforreportingpurposes)andunderminestheproject’sabilitytoeffectchange.Moregenerally,thewholeofconceptof“impact”establishesascenariowherebytherecipientsofaidarecastaspassivecommunitiesthatareimpactedupon.Ifnothingelse,theArtsandHumanitiescandemonstrate,clearlyandindetail,theinaccuracyandnaivetyofsuchassumptions.Communitiesandculturesaremanythings-complex,messy,difficultandsometimesdangeroustonavigateandtranslate–buttheyareneverpassive.

7Conclusion

ThisCommunityGuideistheresultofaseriesofconversationsdrawingontherangeofexperiencesofthoselistedasitsco-authors.Thedocumentisa“live”one,andtheintentionisthatitwillcontinuetobedevelopedandexpandedasprojectsevolveandasmoreArtsandHumanitiesresearchersengagewiththeGCRF.Wewelcomestoriesofsuccess(andfailure),andwillseektoincorporatetheseinfutureeditions.KnowledgeandexperienceareparticularlyimportantoutputsofresearchfundedundertheGCRF,andweencourageyoutocapturetheseindetail,throughjournalsandregulardialoguewithinresearchteams.

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Thekeyideathatemergesfromourdiscussionsisthat“smallisbeautiful”,meaningthatwhateverlonger-termambitionsyoumayhaveregardingscaleandimpact,initialsuccessdependsoncloseattentiontothecontextsinwhichyouplantowork,andontheidentificationofsuitablelocalpartnersratherthan(orinadditionto)thosewhomaybeseenasthe“usualsuspects”(i.e.,universitiesandinternationalNGOs).Thesecontextsaremultiple,andArtsandHumanitiesresearchershavetheskillstonegotiatethemintheircultural,historicalandmultilingualcomplexity.Atthesametime,thoseintheArtsandHumanitiesmustlearnfromandcomplementexperiencefromacrossotherdisciplinaryfields,andinparticularfromthedevelopmentsector.Suchanapproachwillallowistobring,inadditiontothisculturalsensitivity,adistinctcriticality,temperedwehopewithhumility,thatwillenhancetheworkthatGCRFseekstoachieve.Aboveall,weseektoencourageagenuineconfidence,notonlytoleadprojectsandaddresspressingchallengesinDAClistcountries,butalsotobringlessonsbacktoowncountriesandinstitutions.

8.ReferencesandFurtherReading

Ancona,D.G.,Okhuysen,G.A.,&Perlow,L.A.(2001).“Takingtimetointegratetemporalresearch”.AcademyofManagementReview,26(4),512-29.CouncilonHealthResearchforDevelopment(2016).ResearchFairnessInitiativeforPartnershipSuccess.Availableat:http://rfi.cohred.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RFI-Partnership-Platform-2016.pdfFuhrman,O.,McCormick,K.,Chen,E.,Jiang,H.,Shu,D.,Mao,S.,&Boroditsky,L.(2011).“Howlinguisticandculturalforcesshapeconceptionsoftime:EnglishandMandarintimein3D”.Cognitivescience,35(7),1305-28.HMTreasuryandDepartmentforInternationalDevelopment(2015).“UKaid:tacklingglobalchallengesinthenationalinterest”.Availableat:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/478834/ODA_strategy_final_web_0905.pdfIndependentCommissionforAidImpact(ICAI).(2017).“GlobalChallengesResearchFund:ARapidReview”.Availableat:http://icai.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/GCRF-Approach-Paper.pdfMaramis,A.etal.(2011).“MentalHealthinSouthEastAsia”.TheLancet,25January.Noxolo,P.(2017).“Decolonialtheoryinatimeofthere-colonisationofUKresearch”.TransactionsoftheInstituteofBritishGeographers,42.3,342-44.Polman,L.(2011).WarGames:TheStoryofAidandWarinModernTimes.NewYork:Viking.UKCDS.(2017).BuildingPartnershipsofEquals.Availableat:http://www.ukcds.org.uk/resources/building-partnerships-of-equals

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Thompson,J.(2014).HumanitarianPerformance:FromDisasterTragediestoSpectaclesofWar.London:SeagullBooksThompson,J.(2009).PerformanceAffects.Basingstoke:PalgraveMacmillan.