Succeeding in the Snakes and Ladders Game of Development in Mozambique: The Role of Collaborative Approaches

<p dir="ltr">The existing wisdom on efforts to promote accountability highlights the importance of ‘thinking and working politically’ (TWP) and moving from confrontational to collaborative approaches. This is particularly relevant given current trends, including closing civic space and the decline in international development cooperation funding for service delivery and accountability work.</p><p dir="ltr">This report explores the innovative use of the board game Snakes and Ladders as a heuristic tool to analyse and encourage collaboration in Mozambique’s health sector. Drawing on the POTENCIAR programme, a UK aid-funded initiative implemented by a consortium led by the Chemonics Group UK, the study examines how a ‘brokering and convening’ approach can shift power dynamics and foster collaboration amidst challenging political and economic contexts. The research uses six case studies to explore the political economy factors that help or hinder collaborative practices. It introduces a ‘Ladder of Collaboration’ framework to unpack these dynamics. This framework illustrates how incremental trust-building efforts can establish new ways of working that improve governance and service delivery, even in resource-constrained environments. The findings underscore the importance of evidence-based TWP strategies, continuous issue-based engagement, and adaptability in achieving sustainable impact.</p>