The importance of local actors to humanitarian action is increasingly recognised. However, they struggle to attract the funding and support they need. This report calls for more support for the role of local actors, without transferring the whole responsibility of responding to large scale disasters to them. Key Findings Local actors often have access to population ...» 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.
Social accountability in war zones – confronting local realities of law and justice
How are justice and social order administered and experienced in poor, politically fragile and conflict-affected environments? This paper argues that international policies on expanding access to justice or promoting rule of law are devised and implemented on the basis of norms and assumptions rather than on evidence and careful analysis. The development and framing of policy ...» more
Toward better global poverty measures
While much progress has been made over the last 25 years in measuring global poverty, a number of challenges remain. This paper discusses some current issues that are specific to global poverty monitoring. It argues that improving global poverty measures is important to public knowledge, and helps to inform the work of development agencies, in international policy making and ...» more
Evaluation of the strategy for support via Swedish civil society organisations 2010-2014
In what ways has Swedish support to civil society actors in developing countries enabled poor and discriminated people to improve their living conditions and quality of life? This evaluation report shares a range of internal and external factors that have contributed to the effectiveness of Sida's civil society support strategy via Swedish CSOs 2010-2014 . It finds that ...» more
We want to learn about good love: Findings from a qualitative study assessing the links between comprehensive sexuality education and violence against women and girls
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) can empower young people to make informed, autonomous decisions regarding their current and future relationships. This report finds compelling evidence that CSE is both part of a quality education and a holistic approach to prevent VAWG. However, more evidence on what works in changing attitudes on gender equality and reducing VAWG as ...» more
Sustainable refugee return: triggers, constraints and lessons on addressing the development challenges of forced displacement
What are the conditions that influence decisions by refugees in protracted displacement on returning home? The study illustrates the complex contexts within which refugee return, and international assistance with refugee return and reintegration, take place. It argues that the overarching framework envisaged by the UNHCR has not been fully realised, and that there needs to be ...» more
State of the world’s volunteerism report 2015
Volunteerism provides a key channel for the successful implementation of a more inclusive future development agenda advocated by the SDGs. The report analyses the relationship between volunteerism and governance and some of the core governance issues amenable to volunteer action locally, nationally and globally. It argues that volunteerism is an additional resource and vehicle ...» more
The national risk atlas of Rwanda
Rwanda has experienced a growing number of disasters in recent years, including the 2011 landslides and the 2014 drought. This comprehensive disaster risk profile report finds that Rwanda is strongly susceptible to natural disasters and offers recommendations to ensure measures are in place to mitigate risk, and to enhance disaster risk assessment in the future. The report ...» more
The closing space challenge: how are funders responding?
How is the international aid community responding to the perceived major threat to Western support for civil society development in many parts of the world? This paper looks at how Western funders are responding to closing civil society space measures, highlighting the need for more in-depth research, and increased collaboration between bilaterals, multilaterals and private ...» more
Addressing gender in impact evaluation: what should be considered?
This paper guides development practitioners and evaluators in how to assess the way in which development interventions engage with gender, whether recognised or not, and their impact. It suggests that understanding gender as a process of judgement and value related to stereotypes and norms, rather than a category, underpins the collection of meaningful data on gender-related ...» more
Reaching boiling point: high school activism in Afghanistan
This research paper explores patterns of politicisation in Afghanistan’s high schools. It reveals how the ban on political activities within schools has had little impact, and explores how the reproduction of the political establishment within schools poses a potential risk to Afghanistan's future stability. It suggests two ways to address this: (1) revoking the ban in order ...» more
Systems Thinking: An introduction for Oxfam programme staff
Systems thinking can be an important part of developing truly sustainable and transformative change. This introduction explains how a systems approach can be integrated within programmes and ways of working, and provides tools, case study examples and links to resources for further learning. It highlights the need for change at both a programme and organisational level to ...» more
Strategy testing: an innovative approach to monitoring highly flexible aid programs
How can we develop a rigorous and meaningful monitoring system that will support, rather than hinder, a flexible, adaptive programme approach? This paper outlines the Strategy Testing (ST) approach The Asia Foundation has developed in response to this question. It finds that ST is a promising monitoring approach, contributing to broader efforts to reorient development ...» more
Resource discovery and conflict in Africa: what do the data show?
Africa is often viewed as the prime location for natural resource driven conflict. The volume of research on this topic is sizeable. Yet establishing causality remains a challenge. This paper uses geocoded data on oil and mineral discoveries to study the effect of natural resources on conflict at the local level (1946-2008). It seeks to fill the gap on research which has used ...» more
Governance and inequality: Benchmarking and interpreting South Africa’s evolving political settlement
Has South Africa’s political settlement provided a constructive platform for successfully addressing the country’s deep-seated economic challenges in an inclusive way? This paper argues that the country’s stark inequality is a major cause of the increased pressure on maintaining its political settlement. It re-examines the foundations of South Africa’s democracy in an attempt ...» more
Positive Peace report 2015
This report is a comprehensive summary of the concept of Positive Peace - an optimal environment under which human potential can flourish or, the attitudes, institutions and structures which create and sustain peaceful societies - and its eight dimensions. It aims to address the lack of guidance on conceptualising, measuring and supporting interdependent key factors that ...» more
Building resilience in Nepal through public-private partnerships
The extent and complexity of the natural risks Nepal faces mean that a multi-stakeholder approach to resilience is vital. How can we build on, and leverage, the capabilities and capacities for resilience in the public and private sectors, as well as civil society? This use case assesses how buildings and key parts of the economy, such as tourism, can be made more resilient, ...» more
Political settlements and the politics of inclusion
What are political settlements and why are they now at the centre of donor efforts to foster more peaceful and effective states and societies? This paper draws on academic and grey literature to examine political settlements and processes of state formation and political, social and economic transformation. Analysing available research, the paper finds that, at least in the ...» more
‘Leave no one behind’: Gender, sexuality and the Sustainable Development Goals
This report provides evidence on the impact of excluding populations on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression (SOGIE). It argues that unless deliberate steps are taken by international and national development actors to address this exclusion, the explicit global commitment in the SDGs to eradicate inequality for all people will not be ...» more
Disability inclusion in the voter registration processes
Despite a number of laws protecting people with disabilities, elections in Cambodia are not yet inclusive. This report identifies challenges, good practice and steps that Cambodia's government, election administrators and civil society can take to protect the political rights of persons with disabilities. It calls for the NEC to address the challenges faced by person of ...» more
