Recent international declarations stress the importance of partnerships between and amongst donors, the state and civil society, in order to improve service delivery and promote qualities of good governance, particularly in key sectors such as education. However, in conditions of state fragility--where high levels of distrust between and amongst these "partners" may exist; large and often ungovernable flows of assistance are common; and the capacity of state institutions is weak or non-existent--the feasibility of such partnerships must be critically examined. This paper examines these dilemmas within the context of Timor-Leste's basic education sector, with specific attention paid to how external actors, internal service providers and the Ministry of Education have "partnered" to qualify more than 8,000 teachers through in-service training. The author suggests that donors are increasingly compelled to work within a framework, which presents both practical challenges and deeper ideological conundrums. Ultimately, the interests of teachers and children are being left behind in the drive for alignment, coordination and harmonisation. (Contains 8 footnotes.)