Understanding partnerships for sustainable development analytically: the ladder of partnership activity as a methodological tool

Abstract This paper studies the development of partnerships for sustainable development as a process in which actors from various sectors of society (state, market and civil) restructure and build new social relationships to create a more sustainable management practice. In the relevent literature we recognize three perspectives on this issue. From the first, partnerships are studied as single collaborative arrangements. From the second perspective, attention is turned to the external effects of partnerships. Partnership arrangements are seen as tools for deliberate societal change. The third perspective takes a broader view on the governance system. Attention is focused on the changes that partnerships make in the configuration of public decision‐making structures. These perspectives will be connected in a Ladder of Partnership Activity, a conceptual device that allows us to better understand and analyse partnerships. The Ladder consists of five core levels, set in a time frame. Each level is represented by a core activity. The Ladder is further encapsulated in three dimensions. Taking examples from recent empirical studies, the paper discusses each of the levels and their relationships. The final section reflects on the applicability of the Ladder concept and its strengths and weaknesses. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.