The 2012 conflict in Mali highlighted the urgent need to address a broader crisis of governance - a defective provision of justice. This report examines how the provision of justice in Mali could form a key part of a broad-based strategy to help the country regain the status of emerging democracy which had won it so much praise before 2012. It argues that better justice ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
The scope, role and impact of publicly supported private finance on development and poverty reduction in Africa: the case of Rwanda and Zambia.
Support from development finance institutions (DFIs) and donor governments to the private sector in developing countries has increased in the last decade. This study explores the scope, role and impact of publicly supported private finance (PSPF) in Rwanda and Zambia between 2000 and 2013. It argues that there is need for Zambia and Rwanda to develop and adopt a PSPF framework ...» more
Sticks or carrots? Conditional cash transfers and their effect on child abuse and neglect.
Despite a growing body of evidence on conditional cash transfers (CCTs) that supports claims of positive outcomes for households and children, there has been little investigation into unintended consequences and the potential for perverse incentives may negatively affect children or adults. This paper provides an overview of these issues and recommends that conditionalities ...» more
The political economy of education systems in conflict-affected contexts
This rigorous literature review offers insights into the global, national and local governance of education systems in conflict-affected contexts. It finds that the literature is nascent, fragmented and partial, yet provides rich and complex insights into the challenges of improving education systems in conflict-affected contexts. The review concludes with a theory of change ...» more
The rising costs of Turkey’s Syrian quagmire
This report examines Turkey’s humanitarian efforts, the tension between its public’s sympathy for, and unease toward, Syrians, and the government’s changing role with regard to Syria’s political and military opposition. It highlights the need for Turkey to develop a more comprehensive legal framework that expands the April 2013 law on foreigners and immigration in order to ...» more
The shape and sustainability of Turkey’s booming humanitarian assistance
What do we know about Turkey’s rapidly increasing humanitarian engagement? This article analyses the most important foreign and domestic policy issues and actors influencing Turkish humanitarian assistance. It questions the sustainability and scalability of current aid levels and calls for a more informed approach to working with various Turkish actors. The paper draws on: ...» more
Learning from governance initiatives for conflict resolution: Local agency, inclusive dialogue and developmentality
This report seeks to draw lessons learned from several of the governance initiatives for conflict resolution under examination in the Cultures of Governance and Conflict Resolution in Europe and India (CORE) project. The report finds that there is a general lack of consideration for local agency and its potential capacity in the design and implementation of initiatives, and ...» more
Theorising age and generation in development: A relational approach
Despite young people’s presence as targets of development interventions and as a sub-field within wider developmental concerns, generational perspectives pertaining to young people remain too often absent. This introduction to a special issue outlines the analytical approach of ‘generationing’ development. It argues that life phases matter and seeks to explore how young ...» more
Growing up in Ethiopia and Andhra Pradesh: The impact of social protection schemes on girl’s roles and responsibilities
Contrary to popular understanding, there is little evidence that increasing participation in social protection enhances the development of girls in participating households. What happens to girls’ roles and responsibilities when households participate in social protection schemes in rural Ethiopia and Andhra Pradesh? This article argues that effects cannot be answered with a ...» more
Challenging empowerment: AIDS-affected southern African children and the need for a multi-level relational approach
Is ‘empowerment’ a helpful approach to addressing problems faced by marginalised children? This paper argues that empowerment, when envisaged as individual self-transformation and increased capacity to act independently, offers little basis for progressive change. Instead it calls for a relational approach that will transform power relationships at multiple levels. This ...» more
The UK Government’s Approach to Stabilisation (2014)
This document outlines the UK Government’s Approach to Stabilisation. It explains why and when Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) engages in Stabilisation and sets out how the stabilisation approach links to other tools and approaches which HMG uses in situations of violent conflict.This document supports the strategic and policy framework comprising HMG’s National Security ...» more
Social accountability: What does the evidence really say?
This study reinterprets both the empirical evaluation evidence and the analytical concepts involved in social accountability (SAcc), in order to help to address the “what next?” question. The paper first identifies limits to the conceptual frameworks usually applied to SAcc. Second, a meta-analysis assesses the SAcc impact evaluation literature. This exercise draws primarily on ...» more
The power of talk: Media and accountability in three African countries
This policy briefing offers an empirical contribution to evolving thinking on governance within the international development landscape. Using the example of media, the brief argues that interventions designed to foster demand-based accountability may not be as successful in some fragile settings as more discursive platforms that aim to tackle problem-solving collectively. The ...» more
What works for rural development in fragile states? Evidence from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Nepal and Bolivia
What works for rural development in fragile states and how can rural development contribute to mitigating fragility? This report highlights the major challenges rural development encounters in fragile settings. It looks at empirical evidence from five countries in South Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, Sub-Saharan Africa and South America (Afghanistan, Nepal, Yemen, the Democratic ...» more
Women, gender and the evolving tactics of Boko Haram
This article addresses an aspect of Boko Haram’s activities: gender-based violence (GBV) and its targeting of women. It argues that 2013 marked a significant evolution in Boko Haram’s tactics, with a series of kidnappings, in which one of the main features was the instrumental use of women. This was in response to corresponding tactics by the Nigerian security ...» more
The $138.5 billion question: When does foreign aid work (and when doesn’t it)?
When does foreign aid work and when doesn’t it? This paper considers peer-reviewed, cross-country, econometric studies, published over the last decade in order to propose areas with policy implications related to the conditions under which aid is more likely to be effective. The paper discusses the nature of evidence on aid and why assessing its impact is so difficult. It looks ...» more
The economic, social and cultural rights of migrants in an irregular situation
This publication aims to fill a significant knowledge gap on the human rights of irregular migrants. While acknowledging the range of human rights concerns related to irregular migrants, it specifically sets out the legal and policy frameworks in relation to the economic, social and cultural rights of irregular migrants, highlighting the guidance provided by international human ...» more
Searching for Lasting Peace: Population-Based Survey on Perceptions and Attitudes about Peace, Security and Justice in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
This report presents the results of a mixed-methods study conducted in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between November and December 2013, to assess the population’s perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes about peace, security and justice. The study included a survey of 5,166 randomly selected adult residents, to provide results that are representative of the ...» more
Strengthening social justice to address intersecting inequalities
This report addresses the significance of deep identity based forms of exclusion, which constrain the life chances of affected social groups. It explores policies and programmes that address these intersecting inequalities in a group of countries that have made significant efforts and improvements, as a way of indicating what is possible in this difficult terrain. The report ...» more
Poverty and violations of children’s right to protection in low- and middle-income countries: A review of the evidence
Why do up to 1.5 billion children suffer physical violence every year? Why do up to 2251 million children suffer sexual violence every year? Why are 14.2 million girls every year married off to start adult lives in adolescence or before? Why are considerable numbers of young children left alone for long hours without competent adult supervision?This report examines how far and ...» more
