William Avis,* Kaitlin Ball, Katherine Cheeseman, James Georgalakis, Sian Herbert, Iffat Idris, Zenobia Ismail, Brian Lucas, Shreya Jose Maliakal, Jasmin Morris, Sithandiwe Mujuru, Evert-Jan Quak, Sarah Verhaeg, and Mahdi Zaidan. Abstract: This study presents findings from a pilot study conducted under the Knowledge for Development and Diplomacy (K4DD) programme, ...» more
Governance
Influence of Political Culture on Development Outcomes
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review looks at the evidence for political culture influencing development outcomes, specifically economic growth. It focuses on two indicators of political culture removed from the revised Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI): satisfaction with democracy (SWD) and consensus building. There is strong correlation between levels of SWD and ...» more
GESI Dimensions of Human Smuggling and Trafficking in East Africa
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review looks at the gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) dimensions of human smuggling and trafficking in five countries in East Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan (in their role as source countries), and Kenya (as a transit/destination country). It finds consistent evidence that women/girls and refugees/IDPs, in particular, as well as ...» more
Innovative Programmes in the Governance Sector
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review gives examples of effective and innovative governance programmes, which move away from ‘traditional’ donor-driven approaches. The examples have been selected to be diverse in terms of geographic region and aspect of governance (access to justice, citizen participation, accountability, etc.). Other considerations were: large-scale (ideally ...» more
Enablers for the Effective Adoption of AI at the National and City Level
This rapid evidence review collates available evidence on key enablers for the effective adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at national and city level in low- and middle-income countries. The review draws upon an expanding evidence base that includes academic and grey literature. The evidence base is evolving with an increasing range of countries and cities rapidly ...» more
Case Studies on Progressive Taxation in Low-Income Countries
This rapid evidence review draws on a set of country case studies to examine how low-income countries have sought to make their tax systems more progressive. It looks at concrete examples of tax reforms aimed at improving fairness in how the tax burden is distributed and at strengthening domestic revenue mobilisation. By examining different policy approaches and reform ...» more
Varieties of state capture
Zenobia Ismail Abstract: The literature on state capture is growing and encompasses more countries and contexts. This paper argues that it is time to consider varieties of capture that have different trajectories and outcomes. Two factors, the level of democracy and the strength of institutions, are proposed as starting points for thinking about varieties of capture. Using ...» more
Successful Collaboration Models in Science, Technology and Innovation Ecosystems
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review collates available evidence on successful collaboration models in science, technology and innovation ecosystems between India and other countries. The review draws upon an eclectic evidence base that includes grey literature, press announcements and Memoranda of Understanding as wall as the outputs of multi- and bilateral development actors. ...» more
Serious and Organised Crime in Tanzania
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review explores the main serious and organised crime (SOC) markets, actors and dynamics in Tanzania. The review draws largely on grey literature, notably reports by think tanks and practitioners. Literature and data is limited due to the illicit nature of the subject. Given this and the limited timeframe for this work, this review should be ...» more
Serious and Organised Crime in South Africa
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review explores the main serious and organised crime (SOC) markets, actors, and dynamics in South Africa. It particularly draws on literature from think tanks and practitioner sources, due to the applied nature of the question and its proximity to foreign policy and security interests, as well as academic and policy sources. Literature and data are ...» more
Nigeria’s Role in World War Two
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review collates available evidence on Nigeria’s role in World War Two. The review draws upon an eclectic evidence base that includes historic sources of information, contemporary accounts and both academic and grey literature. The evidence base is limited and diffuse in relation to the contribution of Nigerian (and African) soldiers during World War ...» more
Scaling plastic reuse models in LMICs
To read the full article Click Here This Rapid Evidence Review synthesizes the current evidence base on the design and scalability of “refill on the go” and “return on the go” plastic reuse models in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With plastic pollution rising sharply, transitioning from single-use to reuse systems presents a significant opportunity to reduce ...» more
Financing the Africa we want? Reflections from the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend
Arol Dut* The Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW) is an annual event organized by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, with this year’s event held in Marrakech. Under the theme ‘Financing The Africa We Want’, the participants included Now Generation Network members, civil society representatives, current and former African leaders, university professors, among others, who are ...» more
Serious and Organised Crime in Mozambique
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review explores the main serious and organised crime (SOC) markets, actors, and dynamics in Mozambique. It particularly draws on literature from think tanks and practitioner sources, due to the applied nature of the question and its proximity to foreign policy and security interests, as well as academic and policy sources. Literature and data is ...» more
The Role of Education in Countering Mis- and Dis-Information in MENA
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review collates available evidence on the role of education in countering mis- and dis-Information in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The review draws upon an eclectic evidence base that includes both academic and grey literature. The evidence base is currently limited in relation to education in MENA. However, there is a more extensive ...» more
Using the 20th Anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) to Progress Atrocity Prevention
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review brings together recommendations on atrocity prevention and implementing the Responsibility to Protect recommendations. The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a global political commitment to protect people from atrocity crimes, a term which encompasses genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It places responsibilities ...» more
Challenges and Limitations to Entering the Workforce in Jordan for People with Disabilities
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review collates available evidence on challenges and limitations to entering the workforce in Jordan for people with disabilities (PWDs). The review draws upon an expanding evidence base that includes academic and grey literature. The evidence base is evolving as provisions for PWDs are extended. Whilst the review identified a progressive commitment ...» more
Issue-Based Programming and Coalitions: Evidence of Effectiveness and Approaches to Providing Support
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review provides an overview of the evidence on the effectiveness of issue-based programming and coalitions in improving state capacity, service delivery, and economic growth. Evidence from case studies across Asia and Africa demonstrates that issue-based programmes and coalitions have been successful in delivering results in a diverse range of country ...» more
Decriminalisation of Cannabis Among States in Southern & East Africa
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review collates available evidence on decriminalisation of cannabis among states in South & East Africa. The review draws upon information in the public domain and should be considered illustrative of current status of decriminalisation across the focus region. The evidence base on the impact of decriminalisation of cannabis on other countries is ...» more
Is state capture coming to the United States? Americans can learn to recognise it from the experiences of other countries
Zenobia Ismail* Corruption involving the state, such as neopatrimonialism, clientelism and crony capitalism, are generally perceived to occur mainly in emerging democracies in the Global South or Eastern Europe. The so-called mature democracies tend to be seen as largely immune from extensive corruption. However, the unprecedented influence of business elites like Elon ...» more
