At IGHN, the quality of partnership is at the heart of our Partnerships Programme. Our programme supports collaborations between Irish health institutions and their counterparts in LMICs to improve health outcomes, with the understanding that quality of partnership increases the impact of interventions. We place particular emphasis on supporting partnerships to strengthen the quality of the partnership itself, ensuring it is mutually beneficial, equitable, and resilient — rather than focusing solely on project outcomes.
Our approach is guided by the Principles of the IGHN Partnerships Programme, that incorporates the ESTHER Alliance Charter for Quality of Partnership, and sets out standards to ensure the quality of partnerships and increase the impact of interventions in partner countries. Additional principles relate to decolonisation and embedding climate change resilience as integral considerations in the design and delivery of partnership activities.
Recognising the interconnectedness of global health challenges, incorporating decolonisation as a guiding principle ensures that global health efforts are more just, equitable, and effective as well as being more culturally appropriate. Our health systems will be increasingly burdened by the health effects of climate change as well as the exacerbation of existing health inequalities. Building climate change resilience into the partnerships will help to mitigate these effects.
Building on these principles, we provide tailored tools to help partnerships assess and enhance their practice.
The EFFECt Tool
The EFFECt Tool supports open discussions about the quality of a partnership, helping to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Its purpose is to help guide discussions about the quality of a partnership and identify potential areas for improvement. The information is not recorded (nor reported) and is intended to be shared only between partners.
Designed specifically for institutional health partnerships, the EFFECt Tool guides partners through a structured discussion on the quality of their collaboration and highlights opportunities for improvement.
IGHN Partnership Accreditation
IGHN grants accreditation to established international health partnerships which have demonstrated the highest quality of partnership and reciprocity. Accreditation indicates that the partnership is committed to quality service delivery, to influencing health policy and the creation of a sustainable partnership which will have a long-term impact on health outcomes. Accreditation signals a commitment to delivering high-quality services, influencing health policy, and building sustainable collaborations that improve health outcomes.
The process of applying for accreditation involves completing the Accreditation Tool. The tool is designed to allow partners to self-assess their adherence to each key principle for quality of partnerships. Partners are also asked to state the source of evidence for their answers within each area.
Instant feedback will be provided upon submission of the Accreditation Tool and all applications will be reviewed by the Partnerships Programme team. Partnerships that do not yet meet the criteria for accreditation will be offered a follow-up meeting to discuss their application and recommend steps to gain accreditation in the future.
Partnerships that are successful in gaining IGHN Accreditation will be awarded a plaque. A certificate will be awarded every 5 years upon re-accreditation.
For those partnerships interested in gaining accreditation in 2025 or in the future, please get in touch with us.