Understanding Triple Nexus Approach within Finnish NGOs : Together greater than the sum of its parts

Abstract: Countries that are committed to official development assistance are also interested in how to increase aid effectiveness. One important measure to do so has been the introduction of the triple nexus approach. The triple nexus refers to the cooperation in the fields of humanitarian, development, and peace and how conscious collaboration between the different actors may lead to better outcomes. For this purpose special guidelines were adopted by DAC in 2019, in which the triple nexus approach was recommended to be applied in all humanitarian-, development- and peace work. These guidelines apply to many donor organizations and this thesis aims to understand the prevailing triple nexus environment within in particular the Finnish NGOs. The hope is to contribute to the research of the triple nexus approach by gaining knowledge of its organisational implementation. Abductive logic of inquiry is applied to this research and qualitative methods are chosen to explore the research questions. Semi-structured interviews are carried out to form an understanding of the triple nexus environment in Finland. The empirical data collected for this thesis hopes to bring new knowledge to the parties involved in the triple nexus work. The topic is relevant for development studies and has a strong linkage to the current situation of development cooperation. The scope of this study does not make it possible to draw generalization from the findings and therefore the results of this research are only valid for the specific Finnish context. Collaboration entails shared interest and finding a common ground to reach shared goals, change in thinking and ways of working is needed. Change and collaboration are at the heart of the triple nexus approach and therefore collaboration and change management frameworks serve this research. Kotter’s 8-step change management model and five dimensions of collaboration are used to guide the data collection and findings are analyzed using the most relevant steps of change management and collaborative dimensions. The results show how the triple nexus is understood within the NGOs. Different viewpoints came to the fore which can indicate that better communication and more coherence are needed. Concerning the collaboration NGOs have a good foundation to deepen the collaborative relationships which creates positive prospects. The collaborative arrangement benefits all parties and especially at the end the beneficiaries since they are at the core of all the work and the reason why better procedures are sought for.