Many countries remain trapped in situations of low productivity, low GDP per capita and widespread poverty. Economic growth is one dimension of development, while another is the expansion of the administrative capacity of the state.This paper describes how many countries remain in ‘state capability traps’ where the capability of the state to implement is severely limited or ...» 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.
Beyond Institutions: Rethinking the Role of Leaders, Elites and Coalitions in the Institutional Formation of Developmental States and Strategies
Development practitioners and policymakers have tended to rely heavily on structuralist approaches with an emphasis on institutions and institution building. They have failed to take account of ‘agential factors in the design, formation and maintenance of institutions, and for important success stories that run against general patterns of institutional failure or corruption’ ...» more
Towards a theory of local governance and public goods provision in sub-Saharan Africa
This paper presents findings on multi-country research designed to shed light on the institutional sources of variation in public goods’ provision at the sub-national level. It focuses on key bottlenecks to improvement in maternal mortality, water and sanitation, facilitation of markets and enterprise, and public order and security.Three clusters of issues and associated ...» more
Regulating water services for all in developing economies
Economic regulation is being introduced into the water services sector in developing economies, where widespread poverty and service inadequacies affect regulatory rationales. This paper analyses the regulatory experience in 11 metropolitan areas with respect to the challenge of reaching all urban consumers, particularly the poor.Evidence suggests that pro-poor regulatory ...» more
Decentralisation, governance and health-system performance: “where you stand depends on where you sit”
It is often argued that when decentralisation is accompanied by adequate mechanisms of accountability service delivery will improve. From a governance perspective, it is generally argued that decentralisation of the health sector is the right thing to do as long as the underlying conditions of good governance exist and/or decentralisation will strengthen those conditions. From ...» more
Participation of the Most Vulnerable in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Decision-making and Action
This chapter explores the extent to which the most vulnerable victims of natural hazards are, or can be, included in DRR and CCA decision-making and action. Drawing on case studies from the Maldives, Indonesia and India, it highlights the importance of including the most vulnerable, such as the poor in general and youth and women in particular. Obstacles to such participation ...» more
Who Makes the News? Global Media Monitoring Project 2010
To what degree is the news media democratic, inclusive and participatory from a gender perspective? This report presents findings of a survey taken on one 'ordinary' news day to record the portrayal and representation of women and men in the news media. The results are compared with previous surveys, taken every four years since 1995, to illustrate longitudinal trends. Women ...» more
Corruption and Gender in Service Delivery: The Unequal Impacts
This paper investigates how corruption in the provision of basic services can increase gender inequalities. Corruption in health and education provision can have disproportionate and negative consequences for women and girls. It can compromise their access to quality schools and clinics, their own social and economic empowerment, and their country's prospects for economic and ...» more
Adaptation, Gender and Women’s Empowerment
This brief explains CARE's approach to adaptation, which incorporates activities that challenge gender norms to increase people's resilience to climate hazards. The ability of women to manage climate crises is constrained by an inequitable distribution of rights, resources and power. Women's empowerment and climate adaptation can be mutually reinforcing: women are more risk ...» more
Preventing Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence against Women – Taking action and Generating Evidence
This report argues for a public health approach to intimate partner and sexual violence that emphasises primary prevention, where issues are tackled at the wider societal level and before they occur. While further research is required on effective public health strategies, it is only by taking action and generating evidence that intimate partner and sexual violence will be ...» more
The Role of Women in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
This paper argues that paying special attention to the different experiences of women and men is critical in designing successful conflict management and peacebuilding programmes. It examines the role women play and the obstacles they continue to face in post-conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Conflicts often force women to organise themselves to safeguard basic ...» more
Climate Change and Gender: Economic Empowerment of Women through Climate Mitigation and Adaptation?
This paper argues that the economic empowerment of women through climate mitigation and adaptation fosters economic growth and socioeconomic development, reduces poverty, keeps environmental problems in check and increases the potential for adaptation. It requires an integrated approach and institutional and political measures to create the structural conditions necessary for ...» more
Reciprocity, Distancing, and Opportunistic Overtures: Women’s Organisations Negotiating Legitimacy and Space in Bangladesh
This article examines how three Bangladeshi women's organisations mobilised individuals and negotiated with political parties, state bureaucracy and civil society allies to achieve gender justice goals. Findings highlight the importance of targeted engagement of supporters and allies (so as to mobilise individuals beyond the organisations' own memberships), and of framing ...» more
Opinion on ‘Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Media’
This report highlights the gap between the reality of women's and men's lives in Europe and how they are portrayed in the media. It proposes measures for the promotion of: balanced and non-stereotyped perspectives; equal opportunities and working conditions in the media sector; and increased participation in and access to expression and decision-making for women in and ...» more
Capturing Change in Women’s Realities: A Critical Overview of Current Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks
This study analyses current assumptions about monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in the context of women's rights, gender equality and women's empowerment work. It assesses M&E tools and argues that donors and agencies need to work more closely with constituencies in building M&E systems to find creative ways of tracking the effects of interventions in the change ...» more
HIV and Legal Empowerment
How can legal empowerment advance the human rights of people living with and vulnerable to HIV? This study explores how HIV legal empowerment strategies are evolving. It shows that the law has been the axis around which debates have revolved on the restriction or promotion of rights. For a person experiencing HIV-related stigma, a legal empowerment approach affirms and restores ...» more
Measuring Human Rights: Reflections on the Practice of Human Rights Impact Assessment and Lessons for the Future
This study examines the practice of Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA). It argues that, while a uniform HRIA process in all fields will not be appropriate, eight core elements represent the 'minimum core' of a valid process: screening, scoping, evidence gathering, consultation, analysis, producing policy-oriented recommendations, publication, and monitoring and review. ...» more
What is the Impact of Microfinance on Poor People? A Systematic Review of Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
This study finds that, while both micro-credit and micro-savings have the potential to improve the lives of poor people, micro-credit also has potential for harm. A growing micro-credit industry could therefore be a cause for concern and, if driven by people’s need to take out further loans after a default, it might in fact be a symptom of the failure of micro-credit. ...» more
Citizen-State Relations: Improving Governance Through Tax Reform
How can tax reform enhance citizen-state relations? This report examines the role of taxation in building more responsive and accountable government, and in expanding state capacity. It finds that the specific character of tax systems and of tax reform is very important to strengthening connections between taxation and broader governance gains. Governments and donors can ...» more
Policymaking During Political Transition in Nepal
What lessons can be learned from political economy analyses of Nepal to inform a) donor strategies in that country and b) future political economy analysis in any context? This paper examines political economy studies, commissioned by DFID, on Nepal's agricultural, energy, health and police sectors. It finds that, while the short-term scope for donor influence on policy and ...» more
