By Liljana Rihter, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana
Most problems and challenges faced by people and societies living in poverty, experiencing unemployment or inadequate working conditions, suffering from inequalities in access to basic needs, or confronting unjust energy transitions and environmental issues are multidimensional and complex.
To address these challenges successfully, genuine collaboration among different professions and disciplines—technical, health-related, natural sciences, social sciences, and others—is essential. As we prepare for the Second World Summit on Social Development, the ICSD has developed a detailed statement highlighting the ICSD’s support for the key priorities and the need for enhance collaboration and partnerships to make these a reality.
There are already several successful collaborations, mainly within similar professional fields (for example, among sociologists, social workers, psychologists, pedagogues; or among engineers and IT professionals; or among health workers, social workers, and psychologists;…) in developing projects to address issues such as addiction, homelessness, energy conservation, pollution reduction, and others.
There are also numerous examples of effective collaboration and established guidelines for collaboration in the specific sectors such as healthcare sector. For instance, in 2010, the WHO published the Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice as a foundational document for healthcare. Educational organisations are developing various standards, such as the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) with its core competencies. Universities around the world are establishing interdisciplinary programmes and multidisciplinary centres. Additionally, some international funders (e.g., European research agencies) prioritise interdisciplinary research and development programs.
However, if solutions to the above-mentioned problems are not developed holistically and with the involvement of various stakeholders, they may not be suitable for everyone or may create new problems. For example, green energy, while reducing pollution and conserving specific scarce natural resources, is not accessible to everyone due to its high cost. The same applies to technology and artificial intelligence. The poorest and most socially excluded, who may need these solutions the most, often cannot afford them.
Therefore, it is important to ask whether we are prepared to work together to devise solutions that are useful and accessible to all and do not pose additional risk to the environment and/or societies. Among very diverse professions, which use different professional languages, it is crucial to establish a ‘translator’ and develop techniques and working methods for interdisciplinary collaboration. Various educational organisations have already established training courses to develop key competencies for interdisciplinary collaboration. These often include competencies in teamwork and communication within teams; understanding roles and responsibilities; systematic thinking and analysis of complex problems and the contributions of different disciplines to problem-solving; methodological integration or mixed-method approaches and collaborative research methods; ethical judgment and consideration of diverse perspectives; and conflict management.
Although techniques and guidelines for interdisciplinary collaboration already exist (primarily in the healthcare literature), they are still not included in the curricula of all professions. Since we do not acquire these competencies during our education, there is a high probability that we do not know how and are not qualified to collaborate constructively and co-create solutions.
In the lead up to the SWSSD we therefore call for the development of competencies for interdisciplinary collaboration, as this is the only way to develop sustainable solutions that address complex problems without creating new ones or further excluding certain groups or societies that cannot keep up with progress.
Sustainable progress must benefit everyone, not just those who can afford it. We must use our knowledge and skills to ensure a dignified life for all. All professions must learn to collaborate—to listen to each other, to respond to real needs, and to co-create solutions that will make our world a better place for everyone, not just for a few and not only for current generations but also for all future ones.