The ‘future of work’ is a policy concept that explores how various technological, socio-economic, geopolitical, demographic, cultural, and environmental megatrends are developing and interacting to create new types of jobs, industries, labour conditions, and business models. It is not well-defined or critiqued as a definition, and there is no standard approach to what concepts ...» more
Helpdesk Reports
These rapid-response reports provide digests of key research findings, lessons and expert thinking on specific questions from development practitioners and policymakers. If your question is not already covered below, ask us for a report (free for staff of agencies that we have existing arrangements with).
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Emergency Settings
More than 500 women and girls die in emergency settings every day due to complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth (UNFPA, 2018, p. 3). In 2017, an estimated 535 million children (nearly one in four of the world’s children) lived in countries affected by emergencies (UNICEF, 2017). This report provides examples of organisations working in maternal, newborn and ...» more
Donors Influencing Others Donors and Development
There is a growing interest in the ways in which donors can be influenced. While there is some nascent literature on how behavioural insights can be used to influence policymakers (see Helpdesk report, no. 1426), there is very limited research and evidence on the ways in which donors influence other donors. Based on the available literature, this report focuses in large part on ...» more
Innovative Financial Technologies to Support Livelihoods and Economic Outcomes
Access to digital technologies, in particular, mobile phones, internet connectivity and biometric authentication, allows for a wider range of financial services, such as online banking, mobile phone banking, and digital credit for the unbanked. Digital financial services can be more convenient and affordable than traditional banking services, enabling low-income and poor people ...» more
Who are the Elite Groups in Iraq and How do they Exercise Power
The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq transformed Iraq’s political settlement by ejecting the previous elites from power and by initiating state-building processes with previously marginalised elites and different governance principles. Iraq’s current day elites and institutions are the inheritors of that process. This review summarises the post-2003 processes that structure the ...» more
Privatisation of State Owned Enterprises in Ethiopia since 1991
After decades of socialist rule under the Derg regime, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) adopted market reforms including privatisation of state owned enterprises (SoEs) in 1991. This is a historic literature review, which traces the causes, scale, modalities and impact of the privatisation programme. The literature on the early privatisation ...» more
Strengthening the Financial Independence of Independent Media Organisations
This report is a review of the literature on interventions and business models which can help independent media organisations to become financially sustainable. The overall finding is that independent media in developing countries are primarily reliant on grant funding. Some independent media organisations in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East are generating revenue from ...» more
Rural Transport Interventions to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes
Rural transport interventions have been shown to improve maternal health outcomes. This rapid review synthesises findings from academic, practitioner, policy and non-governmental organisation (NGO) sources that discuss maternal mortality and transport. The report focusses on evidence on interventions from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), in Africa and Asia, in ...» more
Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Lebanon
An estimated 10-15% of the Lebanese population has physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities, according to the more reliable data available. The rate of prevalence is estimated at about 10% among refugees who have fled from Palestine to Lebanon from 1947, at about 8% among Palestinian refugees from Syria, and at 10-22.8% among refugees who have fled Syria since ...» more
Inclusive and Sustained Growth in Iraq
Iraq faces significant economic challenges, in particular stemming from its dependence on oil revenue and the country’s bloated public sector. Private sector growth is particularly constrained by the dominance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), restrictive regulations, lack of access to finance, shortage of skilled labour and inadequate infrastructure. This review drew ...» more
Barriers to Women’s Economic Inclusion in Tanzania
The main barriers to women’s economic inclusion in Tanzania are: time poverty (because women have to spend so much time on household chores); lack of education; reproductive health pressures; lack of assets and access to financial services; in the case of agriculture - lack of access to male labour and inputs such as fertiliser; in the case of entrepreneurship – a difficult ...» more
Benefits of Internships for Interns and Host Organisations
Internships enable students to acquire skills, which cannot be learned in the classroom environment, while employers obtain access to low-cost labour and reduced recruitment costs (Galloway, Marks, & Chillas, 2014; Holyoak, 2013; Maertz, Stoeberl, & Marks, 2014). Interns develop interpersonal skills, team-working skills, professionalism and customer management ...» more
Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Public Works Programmes
This helpdesk report aims to outline the scope, impact and challenges associated with public works programmes (PWPs) in development and humanitarian contexts. PWPs have been implemented in a broad range of countries to help working-aged poor people to cope with economic shocks or chronic poverty (McCord, 2012b). The majority of PWPs are effective in terms of increasing food ...» more
Models of Gender-Sensitive Procurement Used by International Aid Entities
Few international entities working in international development, humanitarian aid, or similar sectors, are systematically implementing gender-sensitive procurement (GSP) in their own operations, a rapid survey of 40 such multilateral, bilateral, and non-profit organisations conducted for this report shows. Of the 15 organisations that responded with information by email, the ...» more
Mapping Women’s Economic Exclusion in Tanzania
Tanzania is one of the best performing economies in East Africa in recent years, which is reflected in improved human development. However, inequalities – including gender inequalities – persist. This report maps evidence for economic exclusion of women in Tanzania. The main source of data used is the 2014 Integrated Labour Force Survey (ILFS), the most recent to be conducted. ...» more
Effects of Violence in the Home on Children’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing During Conflict
Being exposed to violence in the home during war increases children’s risk of developing problems in mental health and psychosocial wellbeing (MHPSW), a small but robust evidence base shows. Conversely, this evidence shows that supportive parenting can be a protective factor against the demonstrated negative effects of war on children’s MHPSW. Evidence from multiple sources ...» more
Indicators and Methods for Assessing Entrepreneurship Training Programmes
Entrepreneurship training programmes are an important component of demand-side job creation strategies in developing countries (Fox and Kaul, 2017). Assessments of such programmes are constrained by variations in the programme content, as entrepreneurship training is often combined with grants, life-skills training, internships and mentorship. The targets of these programmes ...» more
The Impact of Entrepreneurship Training Programmes
Entrepreneurship training programmes generally have a positive impact on existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, especially in terms of promoting better business practices. Programmes which provide training for entrepreneurs often include other interventions such as micro-finance, grants, internships or mentorship (McKenzie & Woodruff, 2013). The varied content of the ...» more
Institutional partnerships and twinning between civil service organisations
‘Twinning’ typically entails a form of formalised partnership between similar institutions in the North and South for an indefinite period (Jensen, 2007; Baud et al., 2010), with the aim of strengthening the capacity of partners in developing countries (Jones and Blunt, 1999; Ouchi, 2004). Institutional twinning inherently implies that the primary focus of the capacity ...» more
Mapping of stakeholders engaged in Public Works Programmes (PWPs)
Public works programmes (PWPs) have received increasing attention as a social protection intervention due to their perceived benefits of tackling poverty by addressing basic consumption needs whilst improving public goods and community infrastructure. This helpdesk report maps organisational and individual actors engaged in PWPs in development and humanitarian contexts from a ...» more
