Interventions to improve service delivery and address poverty are most effective when they are informed by a good understanding of the political context in which they are delivered. These principles are increasingly accepted, but it remains difficult to apply them in practice. In recent years, a number of development agencies, including donors and NGOs, have made major investments in tools for applied political analysis, in politics and governance research as well as in strengthening their capacity for political analysis and more politically informed programming. Yet changes in policy and practice remain challenging. ODI and Plan UK held this one day workshop to address these issues.