Building Culturally Responsive Global Partnerships: Addressing the Priorities of Indigenous Practitioners

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: The research questions that guided this study were as follows: How do African practitioners perceive and describe effective global partnerships when hosting collaborators from Western countries? and How do indigenous practitioners identify the most effective strategies for developing sustainable partnerships? The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) are committed to ensuring that the profession maximizes its ability to address health, wellness, and quality of life (AOTA, 2017; WFOT, 2010). A key guidepost for delineating AOTA’s Vision 2025 is ensuring accessible, customized, and culturally responsive services (AOTA, 2017). Sometimes these services are provided by forming partnerships with countries where the profession is less developed, has less recognition, and is delivered within a resource-scarce context (Witchger Hansen, 2015). Recognizing the perspective of African partners before the start of collaboration is critical in developing sustainable, effective partnerships (Witchger Hansen, 2015).

METHOD: This mixed-methods study combined survey methodology and narrative inquiry approaches. Recruitment was initiated by sending email invitations to African practitioners in a database developed and maintained over the past decade by the primary investigator. Snowball recruitment strategies were used to increase sample size. Participants were included if they were current or previous occupational therapy practitioners in an African country that have been part of a global partnership with a resource-abundant country.

A 25-question Google survey was developed on the basis of completed pilot studies and a thorough literature review (Witchger Hansen, 2015). Items elicited data in areas regarding strengths and weaknesses, common mistakes, and future advice. Interview questions were developed on the basis of preliminary data, and narrative inquiry methods were designed to draw out incidents related to developing and sustaining partnerships. Focus groups were completed and recorded using web conferencing products such as Google Hangouts. Because of challenges with technology in resource-scarce countries, focus groups were kept to three or fewer participants.

Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Analysis of qualitative survey items and data from focus groups began with line-by-line microanalysis individually and then collectively by the team. Codebooks were created, and an iterative process of data analysis continues to reduce the data.

RESULTS: As of this submission date, data from seven surveys can be reported, representing four different countries across Africa. A final sample size of 24 African occupational therapists is expected. Preliminary data reveal that the focus of each of the partnerships was on the Western practitioners providing education and professional development opportunities. The majority of the respondents (60%) felt that the resource-abundant organization “had full control for setting priorities” for the outcomes of the partnership, whereas 20% felt they “had little control.”

Although the data pool at present is small, preliminary data analysis suggests that the three challenges to effective partnerships are ensuring financial stability, maintaining long-term sustainability, and establishing equal balance between partners. Participants defined strategies that would support culturally responsive partnerships, including gaining a better understanding of the host organizations’ priorities prior to arriving.

CONCLUSION: Preliminary data describe the perspectives of African practitioners in their experiences of hosting global partnerships. Results from this study may help Western practitioners better understand and use effective strategies for establishing sustainable occupational therapy global partnerships for all involved.

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2017). Vision 2025. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 7103420010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.713002

Given, L. M. (2008). The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Witchger Hansen, A. M. (2015). Crossing borders: A qualitative study of how occupational therapy educators and scholars develop and sustain global partnerships. Occupational Therapy International, 22, 152–162. https://doi.org/10.1002/oti.1401

World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2010). Statement on occupational therapy. Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/Portals/0/PDF/STATEMENT%20ON%20OCCUPATIONAL%20THERAPY%20300811.pdf