This chapter shares methodological insights from GEOFORMATIONS. It reflects on the diversity of perspectives represented throughout the book, bringing together key insights and learnings.
Drawing on methodological and empirical insights emerging from our study into institutional donors and Locally-Led Development, our chapter explores how transdisciplinary research (TDR) design, an Assemblage Thinking(AT) approach, and a Critical Realist (CR) framework can enable us to engage with the complexity and dynamism of development cooperation governance. We apply TDR principles and AT to track and analyse the distribution of power, decision-making, and funding across civil society partnerships involved in development interventions. Through critical policy analysis and stakeholder engagement, this chapter offers insights into the obstacles and opportunities for improving localisation. It outlines why and how crossing disciplinary and professional boundaries, along with active co-production of knowledge, can generate new insights with the potential for broader societal impact.
This is a draft chapter/article. The final version is available in How to Organise Transdisciplinary Research for Transformative Action and Knowledge Co-Production edited by Paul Coughlan, Sheila M. Cannon, and David Coghlan, published in 2026, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035346554
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