Abstract
Partnership is increasingly espoused as the best relationship between members of the sustainable development aid chain, and implies a respect for the position of all and a desire to avoid a situation where one group dominates another. It also implies a form of relationship which is not just ‘better’ for the sake of it but which is more able to help achieve sustainable development. But given the inevitable inequalities in power between donors that have the resources and field partners that don’t it can be hard to put this ideal into practice. This paper explores the function of partnership within a group of closely related institutions that comprise the Catholic Church development chain. The research focussed on three Catholic Church based donors (one from the USA and two from Europe) and their partners in Abuja Ecclesiastical Province, Nigeria. Relationship between and within various strata of the Church in Nigeria were also examined. Relationships were ‘patchy’ at all levels. One of the donors had a significant operational presence in Nigeria and this was regarded by some respondents as a parallel structure which seriously undermined local bodies. However, while problems existed there was a sense of inter-dependence arising from a shared sense of values and Catholic Social Teaching which allowed partners to work through their stresses and conflicts. It is the innate sustainability of the aid chain itself founded upon a set of shared values which provided the space and time for problems to be addressed.