A review of donors' most recent policies highlights that the term "partnership" is firmly embedded in the lexicon of international development. Most donors now only fund INGO programmes if they are partnering LNGOs. This article considers key questions in relation to such programmes: What is meant by an education partnership? Are there features common to all education partnerships? What are the features of an effective education partnership between an INGO and an LNGO? How do these features enable an effective partnership? Based on a review of international developments, research in the field, and case study data of the experience of a programme implemented in Ethiopia, the appropriateness of a planning, implementation and evaluation tool for education partnerships between INGOs and LNGOs, and the strengths and weaknesses of current programmes is explored. (Contains 4 tables.)