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 paper explores Pakistan’s electricity supply crisis that lasted from 2007 to 2015, and the ensuing contention that shaped public discourse and political events in the country. During this period, which witnessed electricity outages of up to 14 hours per day, 456 incidents of contention...
Following announcement and implementation by the UK government of cuts to overseas aid funding, a cross party group of MPs has tabled an amendment with the aim of reversing the decision.
Professor Melissa Leach, Director, Institute of Development Studies, commented:
‘The scale of outrage...
In 1982, following Israel’s acts of aggression, and the mass killing of innocent children in Lebanon, the United Nations General Assembly declared 4 June of each year as the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression to commemorate children of the world who suffered...
This session will introduce participants to new methodological opportunities for improving M&E frameworks towards a participatory and systemic learning practice. A range of innovative participatory methods will be shared, including systemic, visual and narrative methods. The session will enable...
An IDS research project in the Sundarbans delta of South Asia is showing how partnerships with local communities can yield new knowledge and ideas for more climate-resilient livelihoods. This year, the TAPESTRY project offered lessons for policymakers, practitioners, researchers and civil...
What is the role of associational politics in deepening democracy? A recent panel discussion organised by the Mahbub-ul-Haq research centre at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) with the Institute of Development Studies, attempted to answer this question from a comparative lens,...
Sol Picciotto, a Senior Fellow from the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) analyses the politics and potential of recent proposals to reform global corporate tax rules and proposes a way forward.
Proposals from the Biden administration have injected new life into the...
This session will introduce participants to a number of tools and approach to reflect on the different roles that stakeholder groups play in shaping policy with evidence. The presentation will encourage participants to consider how contexts, power and political interests and incentive structures...
Yuan Longping, internationally known as the ‘father of hybrid rice,’ passed away on May 22, at the age of 91. Tributes have been pouring in from across China, where Mr. Yuan is a national celebrity, and from across the canonical international scientific community who regard him as an...
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).