Institute of Development Studies

History

This timeline shows how the IDS Knowledge Services have developed since IDS was founded in 1966.

1966 IDS Library (now the British Library for Development Studies) established

1991 BRIDGE development and gender briefing service begins operation

1996 ELDIS online gateway to development launched

1997 id21 development research reporting service established

1998 Information Systems Unit set up to manage the hosting and management of IDS websites

1999 Livelihoods Connect created as a ‘learning platform’ on sustainable livelihoods approaches

2000 Global Development Network (GDNet) website launched (this is now hosted by GDN Cairo)

2001 DFID Governance Resource Centre (GRC) established
(now expanded to become the DFID Governance and Social Development Resource Centre)

2003 IDS Knowledge Partnerships team created to coordinate the Information Department's resource centre work and knowledge management advice. 

2003 DFID Health Systems Resource Centre established (now evolved to become the DFID Health Resource Centre)

2005 Strategic Learning Initiative (SLI) established to coordinate the Information Department’s work on monitoring & evaluation, marketing, capacity building, and research

2005 MK4D set up, bringing together DFID support for Eldis, BLDS, id21, BRIDGE, Livelihoods Connect, and SLI

2005 IDS Health and Development Information (HDI) Team created to coordinate health information work across the whole of IDS, including research teams

2007 Strategic review and external evaluation of IDS Knowledge Services

2008 Following the review, we developed our five year strategy (2008-2013).

2009 MK4D Phase One comes to end, and we hold a lesson-sharing workshop in October to which we invite donors, fellow intermediaries, peers and colleagues. 

Knowledge Partnerships and HDI draw to an end. id21 and Livelihoods Connect merge with Eldis. SLI evolves into a new team called the Impact and Learning Team. We are successful in securing support from DFID for Phase Two. 

2010 MK4D Phase Two will focus on developing partnerships with Southern organisations, collaboration and co-creation of locally-relevant products and stimulating demand for development research information through information capacity building.