Managing a government think tank: inside the black box Working and discussion papers | November 2016 | Jessica Mackenzie and Caroline Cassidy This working paper provides concrete guidance for establishing and managing a think tank to help governments better understand ‘what works’ and deliver real change. Downloads
Seeking answers in times of crisis: navigating current pitfalls of conflict research and practice Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Mareike Schomerus This report explores the pitfalls of current conflict research and practice and suggests some approaches that conflict resolution practitioners can use to navigate them. Downloads
Planning for impact: helping universities make the most of their research Comment | 18 January 2016 | Louise Shaxson When it comes to influencing policy, experience in Uganda suggests guidance on planning for impact can make a real difference. Read and comment
From political economy analysis to doing development differently: a learning experience Research reports and studies | January 2016 | David Booth, Daniel Harris and Leni Wild A study of how development efforts can be strengthened by an awareness of political economy, reflecting on the experiences of PoGo policy researchers. Download
Six communications trends NGOs should follow in 2016 Comment | 4 January 2016 | Caroline Cassidy From virtual reality to moving beyond the website – six trends in development communications to look out for in 2016. Read and comment
Evidence synthesis for organisational capacity building Projects | August 2015 to October 2015 Rigorous evidence matters when it comes to policy-making. This project strengthens DFID's programme decisions by assessing their security sector reform evidence base. Find out more
Doing development differently: rising to the challenge Films and videos | November 2014 At the ODI / Harvard Building State Capability programme October 2014 event 'Doing development differently', we spoke to Joel Hellman (World Bank), Tom Murphy (Humanosphere). Andy Ratcliffe (Africa Governance Initiative), Jaime Faustino (The Asia Foundation... Find out more
Complexity won't make the public fall back in love with development Comment | 15 November 2013 | Jonathan Tanner 'There's much to like about complexity if you're long on questions and short on answers, but if you're in the business of trying to communicate messages about how to help others build themselves a brighter future then it is best not to get too... Read and comment
How to find evidence and use it well Comment | 3 October 2013 | Jessica Hagen-Zanker 'Systematic reviews are growing in popularity with donors looking for a rigorous option for assessing evidence. But are they the best approach to finding the right evidence in a flexible, robust and user friendly way?' Read and comment
Final report of the external evaluation of the Think Tank Initiative Research reports and studies | September 2013 | John Young, Volker Hauke, Paul Engel A major mid-term evaluation of the Think Tanks Initiative, a multi-donor programme dedicated to strengthening the capacity of independent policy research organisations in the developing world. Download
