Institute of Development Studies

Knowledge Services

The IDS Knowledge Services' mission is to help people to understand and make sense of the complexities and realities of poverty and inequality. We inform debate, advocacy, research and policy, and thereby stimulate action to bring about positive social change. By sharing information from diverse perspectives, we influence those in situations of power to make better-informed decisions and support those without power to have their voices heard.

Over the next five years, our strategic ambitions are:

1. We will have adopted a much more decentralised and networked approach: collaborating with others, particularly in the South, in sourcing and sharing information, and creating spaces to stimulate interaction and debate.
2. We will be presenting a more diverse range of perspectives: broadening debates on international development, and helping to amplify voices that are not being heard, especially those from the South.
3. We will be doing more to encourage learning and action: working with others to understand and champion the role of information in tackling poverty and injustice, strengthening the capacity of Southern information intermediaries and helping to address the power imbalances and capacity constraints that limit people's ability to access and make use of information.
4. We will be closer to users and more engaged in debates: so we understand information needs better and improve our services, target our efforts, increase our influence, and demonstrate impact better.
5. We will be doing what we do well, but doing it better: building on our trademark strengths in delivering trusted, high quality services, experimenting with new ways of delivering our objectives and doing more to reach out to new users.
6. We will be more coherent and effective as a department: strengthening structures and management systems so the services work together better and so we are able to provide a productive and supportive environment for staff to work in.

Latest Team News >>

• Practice in Participation - developing a Southern knowledge portal

  New Practice in Particpation portal for sharing and learning about cross-cutting participatory practices across South-East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America.

• IDS at the 12th AWID International Forum on Women’s Rights in Development

  Find out how IDS and our partners are taking part at the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) Forum this week (19-22 April) in Istanbul, Turkey.

• IDS takes part in key community-based adaptation conference

  Researchers from IDS’ Climate Change, Teaching and Knowledge Services teams are presenting on ways to communicate better about climate change adaptation, in Hanoi this week.

• Young people, farming and food: an international conference debates research findings and policy options

  International conference on young people, farming and food examines research and policy perspectives how young people can engage with the agrifood sector in Africa, the implications of sector changes for them and alternative approaches to its development.

• A focus on gender and climate change for International Women's Day 2012

  On International Women's Day, Fatema Rajabali and Jenny Birchall blog on the gender dimensions of climate change and how community-based organisations in India and Colombia are tackling the issues head-on.

Latest Team Publications >>

• (2012) 'Challenges of Right to Information in South Asia, Protifolon (Issue 5)'
• S. Turrall (ed) (2012) 'Innovative approaches to gender and food security (Insights)'
• (2012) '"Born, lived and died - but counted or not?" Studies of HIV Communities in Africa (Highlights)'
• Batchelor, S, J. Gregson, J. and Crooks, B. (2011) 'Learning about an Alternative Approach to Strategic Discussions', IDS Practice Paper In Briefs 2 2, Brighton: IDS
• Guest Editor: Fatima Denton (IDRC Senegal) (2011) 'Should Africa take the renewable energy path? Joto Afrika 8'