Make it or break it: critical barriers to effective multistakeholder partnerships for sustainable transformation

Multistakeholder partnerships (MSPs) are widely recognised as pivotal mechanisms for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, despite many identified drivers for effectiveness, MSPs have yet to live up to expectations in delivering the necessary systemic change. With a novel conceptual framework, we expand the theoretical considerations on drivers and enablers, and shift the focus towards the challenges and barriers that cross-sectoral, collaborative initiatives face. Through the empirical analysis of MSPs dedicated to advancing the sustainability agenda, we explore the perceived drivers and challenges influencing partnership effectiveness and how key challenges turn into critical barriers. Drawing from survey data from a set of transnational cooperative initiatives, we identify the outstanding relational, institutional, and external challenges including resource limitations, political will, and partner inertia. We use rich interview material to detail how the challenges manifest as critical barriers to partnership effectiveness and which strategies have been used in the field to overcome them. This study shows that a more nuanced understanding of conducive and obstructing factors is required, as enablers and barriers are not two sides of the same coin. Our findings and recommendations provide actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders, supporting efforts to enhance MSP effectiveness and their role in driving transformative change for sustainable development.