Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the epistemological and methodological challenges of undertaking partnership-based research on the third sector’s COVID-19 crisis response. The research aims to understand how emergency responses have differed by location, and have adapted to their different contexts.

Paper long abstract:

Unlike most humanitarian crises which occur in specific areas, COVID-19 has affected every nation at the same time since January 2020. Across the world third sector organisations have responded to the crisis differently. This is an opportunity to understand how emergency responses to the same crisis have differed by location, and how providers of aid have adapted their responses to the different areas where they operate.

To-date there has been scarce mapping of these responses or chances to share learning and influence good practice on effective responses. This paper explores the trajectory of building an international research network to respond to this opportunity. Two research questions were constructed in initial conceptualisations of the research. 1. How have third sector international and national organisations in different contexts/areas responded to the emergency situation posed by COVID-19? 2. What are the implications of third sector responses for the ongoing COVID-19 response and for rapid responses to future emergencies? However, subsequent discussions with international colleagues led to the formation of a network of researchers based in universities in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Palestine and the UK.

The paper draws on calls for development studies to embrace a broader range of types of knowledge (Lewis, Rodgers and Woolcock, 2020). It builds on evidence that the co-production of knowledge through equitable partnerships situated across complex contexts are fundamental requirements for ethical research (Fransman et al, 2020), reflecting on the epistemological and methodological challenges of undertaking this partnership-based research in practice.