Business is increasingly partnering with governments and NGOs to deliver a wide variety of global sustainable development goals, including poverty reduction, carbon mitigation, clean energy, access to clean water, and eco-resilience and climate adaptation. While there have some high-profile success stories, business partnerships have also suffered from "culture clashes", lack of clarity about goals, poor performance measurement, and lack of accountability mechanisms.

This course examines and critically evaluates four types of emerging global business partnerships: 1) business-government “private-public” partnerships in the provision of public infrastructure, especially water; 2) multi-stakeholder “collaborative governance” of global markets (e.g. forests, sea food, bio-fuels); 3) capacity-building business-NGO partnerships involving business philanthropy; and 4) “investment” partnerships aimed at increasing finance for sustainable development.

We will first explore the context for the emergence of business partnerships, examine the meaning and measurement of "sustainable development", and consider obstacles in both business and NGO culture to effective partnering. We will then examine case studies of the four types of partnerships in developing countries and conclude by considering what innovations in business, NGO and government practice would make partnerships more effective, scale-able and accountable. Students will work in teams to produce and orally present a collaborative case study.