These practical guidelines draw on the collective expertise of the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate, in particular the Development Effectiveness Team. The work was co-ordinated by Wouter Coussement and Gregory De Paepe, with support from Carley Clontz and Anjeza Llulla, under the leadership of Pilar Garrido (Director) and Robin Ogilvy (Head of the Reforms and Partnerships for Development Impact Division). GPEDC monitoring evidence was provided by Isabel Davis, Paula Franco, Caroline Micek, Valentina Orru and Margaux Verhaeghe under the supervision of Ashley Palmer.
Valuable contributions from across the OECD Secretariat informed the development of the guidelines at various stages. These included feedback from Claudio Alberti, Aysegul Bayar Hildgen, Joëlline Benefice, Aussama Bejraoui, Thomas Boehler, Priscilla Boiardi, Cibele Cesca, Megan Grace Kennedy-Chouane, Danielle Mallon, Benjamin Oloyede, Cyprien Fabre, Tommaso Larghetti, Julie Seghers, Jenny Hedman, Sarah Spencer Bernard and Jaqueline Wood.
An informal Sounding Board ensured that diverse perspectives framed and informed the reflection; provided expert advice, review and guidance on the overall approach and outputs; and helped ensure that the guidelines respond to the practical needs of a wide range of stakeholders. The Sounding Board included representatives from: ALNAP (Alejandro Posada Bermudez); Aga Khan Foundation (Matthew Reed); BRAC Bangladesh (Kam Morshed); Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland (Eimear McNamara); Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia (Kirsten Hawke); Department of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands (Mirjam Horstmeier); Ecoweb (Nanette Salvador-Antequisa); Global Affairs Canada (Meaghan Gallant); Hilton Foundation (Shaheen Kassim-Lakha); King’s College London (Maia King); NEAR (Network for Empowered Aid Response) (Anita Kattakuzhy); Peace Direct (Dylan Matthews); the Share Trust (Rose Pinnington); and Warande Advisory Centre (Chilande Kuloba-Warria).
Several experts provided targeted feedback across the report. These included Laura Brinks (Department of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands); Tiffanie Brigden (Global Affairs Canada – Women’s Voice and Leadership); Tess De Rooij (Department of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands); Gary Forster (Publish What You Fund); Jana Garay, Noah Harrison and Corinne Zimmerman (Global Affairs Canada – GCTI); Sven Harten (German Institute for Development Evaluation); Jan-Willem Le Grand (Department of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands); Paul Mitchell (IIED); James Mulligan (Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland); Laurent Umans (Department of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands); Michael von Schoenberg (Global Affairs Canada – Equality Fund); and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Engagement and consultations with diverse local actors were held throughout 2025, including via the OECD Community of Practice on Civil Society Organisations, OECD DAC Civil Society Days and OECD DAC networks, including ENVIRONET, GOVNET and EVALNET. Special thanks go to Gunjan Veda and Nelly Mecklenburg from the Movement for Community-Led Development and to Dylan Matthews and Vahe Mirikian from Peace Direct for organising an on-line consultation with 210 representatives from local actors and communities, grassroots organisations, and non-governmental organisations across sub-Saharan Africa (116), Latin America and the Caribbean (54), Asia and the Pacific (8), and Europe and North America (32). Discussions explored three core topics: i) local intermediaries; ii) the role of bilateral partnerships in relationships between government and civil society organisations; and iii) addressing power dynamics.