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 CREID Learning Briefing is for bilateral and multilateral donors interested in the promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), and/or the inclusion of FoRB in a broader agenda of rights and wellbeing.
Reducing undernutrition is crucial for Ethiopia’s development. Ethiopia has implemented multi-sectoral nutrition programmes for over a decade, with some success. However, challenges remain in coordination and implementation of these programmes.
Health systems around the world are straining under the impact of Covid-19. As the pandemic progresses it is evident that there is much for health systems across the world to learn from each other from these shared experiences, and that when a global pandemic hits the differences between high,...
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is geared towards improving governance in the oil, gas and minerals sector. The EITI currently includes 53 countries across the world, half of which are in Africa. It is governed by multi-stakeholder coalitions representing business,...
Research underpins so many of our collective efforts to address major global challenges, even though its contribution is often unseen or under-acknowledged. In the global onslaught of Covid-19, this situation is changing.
We are seeing much more public appreciation of the vital importance of...
The relationships between business, markets and states shape economic, environmental, political and social realities for everyone, everywhere. These relationships are constantly evolving. As seen most recently in responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, the potential for either transformational or...
Access to nutritious food is a human right, for which households increasingly rely on the functioning of markets. However, food markets and the value chains that supply them are in transition in many parts of the world.
IDS is leading research on food systems, within which the Business, Markets...
Finance is a key factor in economic growth and the pursuit of all other development objectives. Yet, financial markets have produced destructive crises and have contributed to rising inequality and unjust allocations of resources.
Consequently, many efforts have focused on redesigning finance,...
Value chains – a set of activities that conceptualise, produce and bring a product to consumers – have been an integral part of the global economic system for over 20 years. Despite their active participation in international trade and rise in foreign direct investments, low- and...
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).