Collaboration between practitioners and researchers helps build a rigorous knowledge base on how a programme or intervention is working—or not working—and strengthens prevention work on violence against women and their children globally. However, unequal power dynamics can arise within and around practitioner and researcher partnerships. For example, donor requirements may pressure local civil society organisations to accept partnerships that are not on their terms. Capacity strengthening is often directed towards practitioner organisations, while practitioners are not always given the opportunity to share their own practice-based knowledge and skills with researchers.

These dynamics need to be recognised, negotiated, and addressed for a partnership to be mutually beneficial and empowering. Ensuring the right fit between partners and intentionally addressing power dynamics allow knowledge to be produced collaboratively, which strengthens the rigour, credibility, and application of evaluation findings and evidence.