CBPR strengthens the capacity of research partnerships for meaningful engagement in the research process at all stages. Central to this is the valuable exchange of knowledge and skills. The competencies associated with this principle are focused on recognising different forms of knowledge and skills and embracing different learning styles. As well as learning from within the research partnership it is important to identify what other skills and knowledge are needed that cannot be delivered by anyone in the partnership so that they can be brought in.
Capacities (Competencies and Conditions)
● Ability to understand, listen to, and learn from people who might be different to yourself
● Ability to assess and communicate the immediate, potential, applied and realised value of social learning (‘a process of social change in which people learn from each other in ways that can benefit wider social-ecological systems’)
● Ability to develop and facilitate the development of capacity strengthening plans that meet individual and collective research and action needs
● Capacity to share knowledge in different ways that are accessible, relevant and tailored to the context
● Skills to assess and support all partners to engage in a process of investigating, sharing and reflecting on what does or does not work in their practice, as well as on how learning together contributes to making a difference
● Skills and knowledge for evaluation, training and interdisciplinary collaboration
*Please note that some statements are adaptations or direct quotes from the papers listed in the reference section