6. Building Partnership Networks with Two-way Flows of Information

To promote sustainable livelihoods, information and communication systems need to be able to share information horizontally and vertically. Horizontal sharing takes place between organizations at the same level, such as between research institutes or farmer organizations. Vertical sharing takes place between organizations at different levels, such as between different tiers of government, or between national research institutes and local extension agencies.

Vertical systems work best between a few highly integrated hierarchical organizations that have compatible information systems, while horizontal systems thrive in an environment where many different organizations form a constantly changing network of partners wishing to share very specific information. In the new network age, a new model for information and knowledge sharing is needed with more flexible and participatory processes that operate within a loose but compatible global information network. Dynamic and flexible partnerships can be established between individuals and organizations at any level and can help reduce the boundaries between the levels. Partnerships within and between communities can help address problems of ownership, connectivity, sustainability and information literacy. They can also incorporate local and external knowledge that can directly benefit poor people. This partnership approach could replace the traditional process of a “one-way” flow of information from a scientific, information-rich core to a remote, information-poor community. The new approach would be based on dynamic information-sharing partnerships and a “two-way flow” of information at every level.