Our research on governance, power relations, participation and citizen engagement, informs change processes in pursuit of social justice and social change. With power and politics central to our analysis, we support the generation of new evidence that contributes to improved processes for good governance, citizen engagement, empowerment and accountability.
We pioneer new ways of working with governments, communities, activists and academics, to understand the complex relationships and processes that exist across states, markets, and citizens, and between formal and informal institutions, to tackle issues such as digital inequalities, women’s participation and empowerment, decentralisation and local governance, rapid urbanisation, migration, taxation and domestic resource mobilisation, food security and hunger and nutrition. These draw on our extensive expertise in complex approaches to how change happens. Through our research and policy partnerships we are also bringing new insights on the role that rising powers and emerging economies such as China and Brazil have in relation to global governance and tackling development challenges such as sustainability and poverty. Our world-renown participatory research has a particular emphasis on systematic social exclusion facing women, people living in extreme poverty, people with disabilities, slaves bonded labourers, indigenous peoples and others. We advance cutting edge methodological development in action research, participatory visual methods, participatory mapping, participatory statistics, participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) amongst others.
In alignment with the ‘leave no one behind’ framing of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development, the PMA programme is working with groups of people living in poverty and marginalisation to strengthen processes of citizen-led accountability.
The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) provides research evidence that supports developing countries in raising domestic revenues equitably and sustainably, in a manner that is conducive to pro-poor economic growth and good governance.
This report summarises the findings of a desk review on ‘Rural Sanitation in Challenging Contexts’. The study sought to identify the current approaches, experiences and existing guidance in the sector in reaching those at risk of being ‘left behind’ from rural sanitation...
Today marks the first anniversary of the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic. The announcement represents a historic moment in which the WHO called on nations to take coordinated global action to tackle a truly global challenge. Whilst the distribution of the...
Global debt is higher than ever before in recent history. Debt pressures are elevated in many developing countries. Progress achieved over the last 20 years in areas such as poverty, hunger, education, and equality is been reversed. Tackling this challenge and avoiding a new domino of socially...
Covid-19 and economic responses to it have amplified and changed the nature of development challenges in fundamental ways. Global development cooperation should adapt accordingly. How have changes to global growth, debt, budget deficits and taxes, aid, capital markets, along with poverty and...
The declaration of the Covid pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11 March 2020 had huge implications, not only for public health. For several years, IDS along with numerous watchdogs, research institutes and activist groups has studied rapid changes in civic space the world over....
This event is the second in the Mahbub ul Haq Distinguished Lecture Series, co-hosted with the Mahbub ul Haq Research Centre, Pakistan.
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Professor Naila Kabeer discusses the three faces of agency in feminist economics and their implications for gender equality in the...
A systematic literature review and scoping exercise of datasets and data availability on the wellbeing of migrants, globally, but with a particular focus on Finland, India, Norway and the United Kingdom. This an output to inform further investigative research on the Displacement, Placemaking and...
This paper reviews the latest mechanisation programme by the Mozambican government, asking how it is politically driven and how it shapes and is shaped by agrarian structures.
Old ideas about agrarian dualism are reproduced today, albeit with a new language of public-private partnerships that...
Reforming Education and Challenging Inequalities in Southern Contexts: Research and Policy in International Development. A tribute to Christopher Colclough.
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Introduction and overview
Part One The economics and politics of educational reform
Part...
Devangana Kalita, a graduate of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), the leading global institute for development studies, has been held in prison in India since May 2020. Devangana was arrested alongside several others including fellow activist Natasha Narwal, for participating in...
Now more than ever, we need serious reflection and debate about desirable futures for agriculture and food production. It is of such importance that this debate must be open and accessible to all.
But how should an inclusive debate about agriculture and food futures be framed, particularly when...
This paper explores efforts across Egyptian universities to enhance responsiveness and accountability for addressing and mitigating sexual harassment on campus. Though not a new phenomenon, harassment in Egyptian universities differs from other places in terms of scale, frequency, aggressiveness...
In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. The University of Sussex has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past five years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).