This report presents the results of a systematic review of existing evidence on the impacts of fiscal openness. This review includes studies that (i) empirically evaluate a causal claim about the impact of an element of fiscal openness; (ii) have achieved publication as a peer-reviewed academic article, or as a book with an academic press or well-known commercial publisher; and ...» 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.
Growth and income inequality effects on poverty: The case of Pakistan (1988 –2011)
This study scrutinizes Pakistan’s statistics on growth, poverty and inequality in terms of poverty decomposition into growth and distribution components and assessment of growth in terms of its distributional neutrality with the help of widely-used statistical tools. Decomposition of poverty into growth and inequality components answers the question of what poverty outcomes ...» more
Fighting for votes: Theory and evidence on the causes of electoral violence
This paper proposes a theoretical model of electoral violence which is tested and validated empirically. The paper studies if electoral violence is driven by (i) political competition (ii) the distribution of violent supporters and (iii) the ethnic distribution. The paper develops a model which predicts that electoral violence is more likely to emerge if two conditions are ...» more
Toward a rule of law culture: Exploring effective responses to justice and security challenges
This guide lays out a rule of law culture approach to achieving a strong rule of law – an approach that places the human, social, historical, political, and power dynamics of a society at its core. Traditional approaches to promoting rule of law tend to prioritize the role of state institutions and adopt technical, law-led strategies. The rule of law culture approach, in ...» more
Public sector management reform in developing countries: Perspectives beyond NPM orthodoxy
What alternative frameworks for theory and practice offer insights and guidance beyond the new public management (NPM) orthodoxy? This article offers some answers to this question. It is the introduction to a special issue of the journal Public Administration and Development titled ‘Beyond conventional public sector management reforms in developing countries’, and includes ...» more
Whose security? Building inclusive and secure societies in an unequal and insecure world
This paper analyses the connection between security and development with the aim of clarifying the intricate issues involved in this interface. It argues that the nexus between security and development is historical, but also dependent on the rapidly changing world, evolving out of colonialism to facing the challenge of powerful market forces and technology for global profits. ...» more
The three political economies of electoral quality in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands
This paper focuses on electoral quality and malpractice in the Melanesian countries of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands. It argues that the electoral malpractice the countries experience is a product of three interacting political economies: national, international and local. It aims to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the origins of these electoral issues ...» more
Mindfulness and wellbeing: Mental health and humanitarian aid workers
In the context of increased humanitarian demand and evidence and discussions on aid worker burnout, the issue of wellbeing in the humanitarian sector is pertinent. This resource explores the current state of wellbeing support available to aid workers within the humanitarian sector, and introduces the concept of mindfulness and mindfulness-based approaches. It calls for a shift ...» more
‘They call me warrior’: The legacy of conflict and the struggle to end sexual and gender-based violence in Sierra Leone.
This paper assesses the factors that underpin sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Sierra Leone and outlines some of the challenges facing community-based initiatives addressing gender equality and SGBV. Findings suggest the war itself was an important catalyst of transformation on gender equality. The paper argues that SGBV is woven into people’s everyday lives, ...» more
In quest of inclusive progress: Exploring intersecting inequalities in human development
To what extent do wealth status, urban/rural place of residence and ethnicity – and their intersection – explain inequalities in education and health? This paper traces the changes that have occurred in these intersecting inequalities in 16 countries over periods of approximately ten years. It finds that people who experience intersecting disadvantages have been left behind by ...» more
NIMD Country Programme evaluation
The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy commissioned an institutional evaluation of the period 2011–2014, with a focus on three country programmes (Georgia, Guatemala and Mali). The first objective of the evaluation was to assess the extent to which NIMD achieved results in the period 2011–2014. The second objective was to assess the extent to which the NIMD ...» more
Gender and complaints mechanisms
This handbook aims to bring together and share knowledge and experience from NATO, Partner and Allied armed forces on prevention of misconduct and the handling and monitoring of complaints within armed forces, with particular regard to gender. It provides resources for: establishing a safe and non-discriminatory environment for men and women in the armed forces; dealing ...» more
Striking for engagement: State-citizen relations in peacebuilding in Sierra-Leone
Despite a clear emphasis on improving state-citizen relations in the Lome Peace Agreement and post-war peace-building agenda, challenges in Sierra Leone's state-citizen relations remain. The report analyses the scope and opportunities for citizens to influence government actions; the extent to which citizens take these opportunities and why; and the outcomes and impacts of such ...» more
The state of social safety nets 2015
As of 2015, every country in the world has at least one social safety net programmes in place, and the average developing country has about 20 ongoing programmes. This report draws on data that was previously unavailable to examine trends in coverage, spending, and programme performance of the main safety net programmes that exist globally. and the ways that countries use them ...» more
The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding
The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding is complex, yet has often been depicted in binary terms. The report offers an overview of the relationship between religion and conflict and looks at the evidence on religion as both a driver of conflict and as a driver of peace. A more nuanced understanding of religion as a fluid system of variables based on contextual and ...» more
Shelter from the storm: A transformative agenda for women and girls in a crisis-prone world.
The 2015 State of World Population report assesses the vulnerabilities of the global population, with a particular focus on women and girls in crisis situation, especially those in displacement and refugee camps. It argues that women and girls have additional vulnerabilities in these situations, most notably pregnancy and childbirth. It calls for commitment to uphold the sexual ...» more
The ABCs of financial education: Experimental evidence on attitudes, behaviour, and cognitive biases
How do financial education interventions facilitate informed economic decision-making? This paper argues that while financial education improves financial awareness and attitudes, it fails to improve longer term behavioural outcomes on savings and borrowing. It focuses on what may prevent recipients from benefitting from financial education if not addressed within the ...» more
A review of evidence of humanitarian cash transfer programming in urban areas
The scale of urbanisation, the nature of urban crises and urban vulnerability are the focus of a growing body of literature, as is the efficiency and effectiveness of cash transfer programming (CTP) – however, much experience of CTP to date has come from rural areas. This raises the question of what cash transfer programming can contribute to urban emergency response and ...» more
Making development work: The quality of government approach
This report synthesizes the current knowledge on why some countries have developed into prosperous societies while others have not, and puts forward conclusions for development policy. The report summarises qualitative as well as quantitative studies that have shown that quality of governance (QoG) factors, such as control of corruption, the rule of law, and administrative ...» more
Women warming up! Building resilient, grassroots feminist movements for climate justice in Asia-Pacific
Climate change disproportionately affects the Global South and women. The Asia-Pacific region is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, while a combination of patriarchal practices and global injustices mean women are at greater risk during a natural disaster and are more likely to experience the effects of natural resource degradation. This paper reports on ...» more
