In India’s development sector, collective action has become a powerful pathway for driving systemic change. Yet behind every successful collaboration lies an often-invisible player: the backbone organisation. Whether anchoring the coalition, advocating for its shared purpose, or managing the mechanics of coordination, this role is critical — and frequently underestimated.
This session takes a closer look at what it means to be the “glue” in collective action. We’ll explore the multiple hats backbone organisations wear, the tensions they navigate between neutrality and leadership, and the emotional and operation all about of ensuring that collaboration doesn’t unravel.
Drawing on practitioner insights and lived experiences, we’ll unpack the realities of holding alignment amidst power imbalances, ensuring accountability without authority, and reating space for both efficiency and trust-building.
Whether you sit within a funder consortium, a programmatic coalition, or a systems change platform, this conversation will offer practical reflections, honest provocations, and hopeful strategies on how to strengthen the role that often holds everything —and everyone — together.
Moderated by Arjun Bahadur (Sattva Consulting), the session featured insightful perspectives from panelists Akshay Soni (ex-The/Nudge Institute), Lakshmi Pattabi Raman (Centre for Exponential Change) and Shailja Mehta (Dasra).
Watch the video on YouTube:
Reading & Resources — all on the topic of collaboration and backbone organisations
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