
Tackling violence in the DRC: new papers discuss ways forward
Tuesday 18th December 2018
As the Democratic Republic of the Congo prepares for tense presidential elections, two new papers unpack some of the drivers of the prolonged conflict and insecurity in the eastern provinces.
Two exciting job vacancies in the DLP team
Monday 12th November 2018
DLP is looking for a Program Manager and a Communications Manager to help lead a new three-year phase of research on leadership in global development.
New studies on leadership for transformational change in Africa
Thursday 31st May 2018
A new series of studies asks what factors support or hinder leadership for transformational change in Africa. They are published in collaboration with the UONGOZI Institute.
New article on politically informed work for climate change mitigation in China and India
Monday 21st May 2018
In Development Policy Review, Tom Harrison and Genia Kostka draw on their DLP research project to explore 'Bureaucratic manoeuvres and the local politics of climate change mitigation in China and India'.
Launch of synthesis report and Gender and Politics in Practice series
Wednesday 14th February 2018
DLP launched its 10-year synthesis report and findings from a collaborative research project on 'Gender and Politics in Practice' at the Australasian Aid Conference in February 2018.
New article: The Donor's Dilemma - International Aid and Human Rights Violations
Friday 29th September 2017
A new article co-authored by DLP researcher Niheer Dasandi explores the dilemmas of providing development aid to states that violate human rights.
Doing Development Differently workshop - Jakarta 2017
Thursday 30th March 2017
Putting the concept of Thinking and Working Politically into practice was at the heart of a workshop on 15-16 March attended by more than 200 delegates from the field of international development. Delegates from the government, civil service and local organisations of the host country, Indonesia, were joined by academics, including DLP researchers, and staff from donor organisations and NGOs.
DLP shares research at FCO Africa Study Day
Monday 27th March 2017
DLP findings on the Democratic Republic of Congo were among the topics discussed with with UK diplomats and civil servants at the FCO's Africa Study Day, held at Sandhurst on 21 March. This year's Foreign and Commonwealth Office event was organised by University of Birmingham's International Development Department, home to DLP.
How Change Happens: Australian seminars 3-6 April by Duncan Green
Tuesday 21st March 2017
Dr Duncan Green presents the ideas from his recent book, How Change Happens, in a series of appearances across Australia next month. Organised by the Research for Development Impact (RDI) Network, the events are co-presented by DLP in partnership with a range of development and research agencies.
Power and systems, and their role in developmental change: Guest seminar with Duncan Green
Tuesday 21st February 2017
Seeing power and complex social systems clearly is the first step towards supporting positive developmental change, says Oxfam Strategic Director and DLP research partner Duncan Green. He discussed the themes of his latest book at a recent International Development Department guest seminar at the University of Birmingham.
'How Change Happens': Birmingham seminar with Duncan Green, 19 January
Monday 9th January 2017
What works in achieving progressive change? How do power and systems shape change, and how can you influence them? Join Oxfam's Duncan Green on Thursday 19 January to discuss the themes of his new book 'How Change Happens'. The presentation will be followed by a drinks reception and book signing.
New role for Alina Rocha Menocal
Monday 31st October 2016
After many significant contributions to DLP's research, events and impact, Alina Rocha Menocal is now moving on to take up a USAID Senior Democracy Fellowship. Alina will also continue her role as a Research Fellow in ODI's Politics and Governance Programme, on a part-time basis, and we are delighted that she will retain close links with DLP as a Research Associate.
2016 Adrian Leftwich Memorial Lecture
Thursday 27th October 2016
The University of Manchester's annual lecture in memory of DLP's founding Director of Research, Adrian Leftwich, will be given this year by Nic van de Walle, Professor of International Studies at Cornell University, on Wednesday, 16 November.
Research evidence on DRC presented to International Development Committee
Tuesday 25th October 2016
DLP Research Fellow Suda Perera has presented findings from her research into armed groups and political inclusion in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the UK Parliament's International Development Committee.
Is 'do no harm' peacekeeping possible in the DRC?
Monday 9th May 2016
DLP Research Fellow Suda Perera, speaking at the University of Manchester's Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, asked why approaches to peacekeeping in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo haven't changed in more than a decade. Meanwhile, the possibility of lasting peace in the region seems more remote than ever.
Yemen - looking beyond counterterrorism
Wednesday 4th May 2016
Today's report by the UK Parliament's International Development Committee on the crisis in Yemen calls for an independent investigation into suspected breaches of international humanitarian law, including by the Saudi-led coalition forces. In her evidence submission, Dr Sarah Phillips drew on research supported by DLP to highlight the risks of an international response to Yemen that focuses on counterterrorism and is dominated by Saudi Arabia.
State fragility and formation: democracy in retreat workshop
Friday 29th April 2016
A collaborative workshop at La Trobe University, Melbourne, at which DLP Senior Partner Chris Roche and Dr Sarah Phillips were panellists, considered whether democracy is an appropriate framework for efforts to make sense of the struggles of fragile states.
Political settlements and public service performance
Friday 15th April 2016
A conference hosted by the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, in partnership with DLP and the Centre for Public Impact, focused on the impact political settlements have on the efficiency of public services. Many of the presentations are now available online.
Call for papers for DSA conference panel on political settlements
Friday 8th April 2016
Paper proposals are invited for a panel on political settlements and pathways out of fragility at this year's Development Studies Association conference. The panel convenors are Alina Rocha Menocal and Jan Pospisil. The conference will be held on 12-14 September in Oxford, UK.
Thinking and working politically on corruption DSA conference panel
Monday 4th April 2016
DLP Director Heather Marquette is convening a panel on 'Thinking and working politically about corruption and anti-corruption' at this year's Development Studies Association conference in September. The call for papers is open until 25 April.
Discussion on Libya with Radio France International
Friday 11th March 2016
Attempts by the UN to broker agreement on a Libyan government of national unity are discussed in a new RFI podcast featuring Alina Rocha Menocal.
Sharing findings on 'Dilemmas of international aid'
Monday 18th January 2016
Niheer Dasandi was among the speakers at a Global Governance Institute event, Power, Development and Messy Politics: Dilemmas of International Aid, on 18 January. He shared findings on how donors could think politically about difficult choices.
Australian launch of 'The Politics of Results and Evidence in International Development'
Tuesday 24th November 2015
The Australian launch of this book, co-edited by DLP's Senior Research Partner Chris Roche, will be held at La Trobe University, Melbourne on 24 November, 5pm-6.30pm. Speakers: Dennis Altman, Duncan Green, Irene Gujit, Chris Roche.
Registration open for 'Power, Politics and Positive Deviance': DLP's Annual Conference 2016
Tuesday 20th October 2015
Join us at La Trobe University, Melbourne on 8 February 2016 to discuss 'Power, Politics and Positive Deviance'.
The Governance Practitioner's Notebook: new OECD resource
Thursday 8th October 2015
This new resource from the OECD-DAC Network on Governance, launched today, provides a collection of briefings for governance practitioners in development agencies. DLP's directors, Heather Marquette and David Hudson, are among the contributors.
DLP director at European Development Days
Friday 18th September 2015
DLP Director Heather Marquette comments on the complexity of corruption at this summer's EU European Development Days.
Crowdsourcing as a research tool
Wednesday 2nd September 2015
Recent fieldwork by DLP research fellow Suda Perera is proving a rich source of insight into research methods.
Within and without the state: presentation at the European Conference on African Studies
Monday 13th July 2015
Suda Perera's ECAS conference paper, 'Within and without the state', shared findings on relations between the state and armed groups in the DRC's Kivu regions.
Thinking Beyond Sectors: new book
Wednesday 8th July 2015
DLP Deputy Director David Hudson is one of the contributors to the new open access book 'Thinking Beyond Sectors for Sustainable Development'.
Sharing findings at INCAF discussions on peacebuilding and statebuilding
Monday 18th May 2015
Dr Heather Marquette leads a team of DLP researchers who will present their work at the OECD this week. They will share findings with two INCAF Task Teams at discussions of the Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Goals on legitimate politics and on revenues and services.
Exploring the international political economy of development
Friday 15th May 2015
DLP research fellow Dr Niheer Dasandi was among the speakers at the New Directions in International Political Economy conference in Warwick this week. He and DLP's Dr David Hudson will be editing Edward Elgar's forthcoming 'Handbook of the International Political Economy of Development'.
How can practitioners 'do governance differently'? DAC GovNet discussions
Wednesday 13th May 2015
Dr David Hudson spoke at an OECD DAC GovNet meeting on 13 May, on how the 'doing governance differently' agenda can be translated into practice.
Development journalism masterclass
Monday 16th March 2015
DLP Senior Research Partner Chris Roche was among a panel of development and media experts delivering the inaugural International Development Journalism Fellowship masterclass in Melbourne last week.
New DLP research fellows
Thursday 12th March 2015
We are delighted to welcome Tait Brimacombe and Gillian Fletcher to the DLP team at La Trobe University in Melbourne. Their research will explore issues including women's involvement in political processes, and strengthening capacity for development through communication.
Workshop on 'Doing development differently: can it be managed?'
Tuesday 10th March 2015
This public event in London on April 2 will explore how to support 'Doing development differently'. It is being organised by the University of Birmingham, ODI and RTI International. Prof Richard Batley (UoB), Dr David Booth (ODI) and DLP's Dr David Hudson will chair the workshop.
New evidence paper on corruption
Thursday 5th March 2015
What conditions make corruption possible? What are the real costs of corruption and how can it be fought effectively? A new evidence paper that addresses these questions has been written for DFID by a research team led by DLP Senior Research Fellow Alina Rocha Menocal and Nils Taxell of the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre.
Training on fragility, statebuilding and peacebuilding
Tuesday 3rd March 2015
Senior DLP Research Fellow Alina Rocha Menocal leads a day of training in Basel this week as part of swisspeace's Certificate of Advanced Studies in Fragility, Conflict and Statebuilding.
Middle class attitudes and the politics of poverty reduction in India
Monday 26th January 2015
A new DLP research paper asks what makes the middle classes oppose or support initiatives intended to lift people out of poverty, and how the development community can secure their approval of such policies.
Active citizenship and how change happens
Monday 19th January 2015
Ten Active Citizenship Case Studies and a lessons paper by Duncan Green have just been published by Oxfam. These are part of a research project on 'How change happens', which DLP is supporting.
New book chapter: contribution to 'The Politics of Inclusive Development'
Monday 12th January 2015
Senior researcher Claire Mcloughlin is one of the contributors to 'The Politics of Inclusive Development', published this month by OUP. The book is dedicated to the memory of the late Adrian Leftwich, DLP's founding Director of Research.
New concept brief: state legitimacy
Wednesday 3rd December 2014
The origins and durability of a state's legitimacy affect the feasibility of development processes and the effectiveness of external aid interventions. In this three-page Brief, senior researcher Claire Mcloughlin unpacks a slippery, yet important, concept.
Elites in fragile states: from predation to protection
Monday 1st December 2014
On 4 December, Research Fellow Suda Perera will present DLP findings at an expert meeting to help inform Dutch development policy on security and justice.
Parliamentary strengthening: fix the car, or worry about the driver?
Monday 24th November 2014
In a guest post today for the blog From Poverty to Power, Alina Rocha Menocal takes stock of the evidence on parliamentary strengthening.
Seminars by Duncan Green at La Trobe University
Friday 21st November 2014
On Monday 24 November, Dr Duncan Green will give two public seminars at La Trobe University in Melbourne.
DLP partner launches new online portal
Friday 21st November 2014
La Trobe University's Institute for Human Security and Social Change has launched a new website, practiceforchange.org.
Presentation at the International Parliamentary Conference on Growth for Development
Wednesday 12th November 2014
DLP's Deputy Director David Hudson will speak next week at the International Parliamentary Conference on Growth for Development in London.
Contribution to Guardian discussion on fragile states
Thursday 6th November 2014
Research Fellow Suda Perera was among the expert panellists for a Guardian Development Professionals Network Q&A on 6 November. She drew on her recent research in the DRC to discuss the issue, 'After aid, how can development work in unstable states?'
Alina Rocha Menocal joins DLP research team
Thursday 23rd October 2014
We are delighted to welcome Alina Rocha Menocal to DLP to lead our research on elites and political settlements.
Political Settlements: the first of DLP's concept briefs
Monday 6th October 2014
What exactly are 'political settlements'? This Concept Brief, the first of a new series, sets out key elements of this increasingly prominent idea. It suggests why it is important, and what policy implications follow from it.
Cash transfers: why elites' attitudes matter
Wednesday 24th September 2014
A new DLP Research Paper presents findings from Malawi on elites' attitudes to poverty and their opinions on how to reduce it. The findings question the sustainability of cash transfer programmes beyond donor funding.
Security and justice: the first in a new series of literature reviews
Monday 21st July 2014
The first of the Developmental Leadership Program's 'State of the Art' papers is now available. Our SOTA series aims to lay the groundwork for future DLP research by setting out what existing research evidence and development practice tell us about the politics of development in key areas.
Welcome to DLP's new website
Tuesday 3rd June 2014
DLP's Director, Dr Heather Marquette, introduces the new dlprog.org - gateway to the findings of more than five years of research on leadership and the politics of development.
DLP's core research themes
Friday 30th May 2014
Five core themes run through the heart of this new-look Developmental Leadership Program website. They are signposts to help visitors explore our research, and they are the building blocks of the new strategy that will guide our work over the next three years.
Presentations at UNDP/KPMG conference 'Leadership and the Challenge of Change'
Wednesday 30th April 2014
DLP was delighted to participate in this conference on 'Leadership and the Challenge of Change', which was organised by KPMG and the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence.
Public talk by DLP's Niheer Dasandi at UNDP, Singapore on successful policy reform and political-bureaucratic interaction
Monday 28th April 2014
On 28 April, DLP Research Fellow Dr Niheer Dasandi gave a talk at UNDP's Global Centre for Public Service Excellence in Singapore. He addressed the question: how can the interaction between politicians and bureaucrats help to foster successful policy reform?
New paper on political economy analysis in donor agencies
Thursday 17th April 2014
Has political economy analysis lost its way? Donors Doing Political Economy Analysis: From Process to Product (and Back Again?) is a new DLP research paper by Dr Jonathan Fisher and Dr Heather Marquette.
Panel on primacy of politics in development at PSA 2014
Tuesday 15th April 2014
On 15 April 2014, DLP will host a panel on 'The Primacy of Politics in Development' at the Political Studies Association conference in Manchester, UK.
New article: When does service delivery improve the legitimacy of a fragile state?
Friday 28th March 2014
This open access article in the journal Governance, by DLP senior researcher Claire Mcloughlin, unpacks the theory and evidence on the relationship between service delivery and state legitimacy in fragile and conflict-affected states.
New DLP research on the Medellin Miracle
Tuesday 4th March 2014
From the most murderous city on earth to 'a new global standard for urban policy': Kate Maclean's DLP Research Paper unpacks the politics of change in the wake of crisis.
New book on social sector policy reform in the Philippines
Tuesday 4th March 2014
'Room For Maneuver' explores the politics of social sector policy reform in the Philippines. The book, co-edited by the late Adrian Leftwich, highlights lessons for reform advocates.
Adrian Leftwich Memorial Conference
Friday 24th January 2014
We were delighted that over 100 scholars and development practitioners joined us for the Adrian Leftwich Memorial Conference on 24 January. We commemorated DLP's founding Director of Research with a fascinating day of reflection and discussion.
Political Settlements and State Formation - the case of Somaliland
Wednesday 1st January 2014
Why did the civil wars in Somaliland end while Somalia's continued? This new DLP Research Paper asks why large-scale violence was resolved in the internationally unrecognised 'Republic of Somaliland' but not in the rest of Somalia.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918-2013
Friday 6th December 2013
Heather Marquette and David Hudson, DLP's directors of research, reflect on the inspirational achievements of Nelson Mandela - who embodied developmental leadership.
New GIZ Publication: Triangular Cooperation
Wednesday 13th March 2013
DLP are pleased to present a new publication from GIZ entitled 'Triangular Cooperation: A guideline for working in practice', edited by Julia Langendorf, Nadine Piefer, Prof. Dr. Mich?le Knodt, Dr. Ulrich M?ller, and Lena L?zaro R?ther. Triangular cooperation is an interesting tool for development cooperation, linking North-South and South-South cooperation. However, there are still many open questions. In a joint approach of academia and practice, this publication attempts to give answers and presents illustrative cases to discuss the different aspects of triangular cooperation in practice.
Governance, Politics and Development in the Pacific - A literature Survey
Thursday 31st January 2013
The Australian Aid Program has a strong interest in development issues in the Pacific. Though traditionally it has taken a rather technical, administrative and managerial approach to such issues, its recent public literature (and that of other aid agencies) reflects the green shoots of important new thinking around the importance of political and governance processes that can decisively promote or restrain development - and hence a more effective use of aid resources. This DLP Background Paper provides a short survey of the literature in the field and an assessment of the extent to which such research and policy announcements have really helped to provide and institutionalise a more politically informed understanding of development.
Review: "Against the Odds: Politicians, institutions and the struggle against poverty" by Melo, Ng'ethe & Manor
Monday 14th January 2013
As a recent DLP Research Paper showed, remarkably little serious academic research has been devoted to the role of leadership in the politics of development, though it is commonly referred to in policy documents as an important factor. While there is a substantial literature in the fields of business studies, corporate management and psychology, there remains a significant deficit in relation to development issues, but two important recent academic studies have begun to reduce that deficit. The first by Melo, Ng'ethe, & Manor 'Against the Odds: Politicians, institutions, and the struggle against poverty' is reviewed below.
The Politics of State Business Relations in the Pacific: A literature review
Wednesday 21st November 2012
It is now widely agreed that good state-business relations (SBRs) are an important factor in promoting economic growth. Good information flows between states and businesses, as well as transparency, reciprocity, credibility and trust are often said to be the critical elements of effective SBRs. SBRs are political relationships and the role of leadership in establishing and sustaining such relationships is crucial. There is now a strong comparative and case-study literature on the politics of state-business relations on a global basis, but there has been little focus on this topic in the Pacific. This new background paper by Caryn Peiffer provides a good literature review of the little that is known about Pacific SBRs and it outlines some key questions for further research.
New Journal Article: Local Energy Efficiency Policy Implementation in China
Wednesday 10th October 2012
According to an IEA estimate, China recently overtook the United States as the world's largest energy consumer. This growth in energy consumption has implications, not just domestically but internationally. But China is beginning to rethink its "growth at any cost" model and is moving towards sustainable growth and energy security. A new paper by Genia Kostka and William Hobbs, based on original DLP research, addresses how Chinese leaders at a sub-national level are 'working politically' to bridge the requirements of the national energy efficiency targets against local interests ? all in the context of increasing international scrutiny of China's consumption levels and their effect on climate change.
Political Settlements, Elite Pacts and Governments of National Unity
Wednesday 1st August 2012
The concept of the 'political settlement' has become a familiar one in the thinking of the international community and amongst scholars with an interest in the politics of development. But it has been used in a variety of subtly, but significantly, different ways, sometimes interchangeably with notions such as 'elite pacts' or 'peace agreements'. For some, the term encompasses only 'horizontal' agreements between key elites; for others it has been used to refer to the 'vertical' relations between states and societies. Some conceptions point to political settlements as 'one off' events; others suggest that settlements describe the on-going institutional arrangements and political processes that both reflect and shape the (changing) distribution of power in a society.
Bringing History Back in: Three Big Books
Wednesday 11th July 2012
Are you short on time, but feeling the pressure to keep up with the latest ideas in development theory? If so, you probably won't have had a chance to read fully the three recently published and important books on the politics of development: 'Violence and Social Orders' (by D.C North, J.J. Wallis and B.R. Weingast, 2009); 'The Origins of Political Order' (by Francis Fukuyama, 2011); and, 'Why Nations Fail' (by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, 2012). DLP may be able to help! This paper provides the core summaries of their main arguments and the supporting evidence, accompanied by a brief analysis of some common themes and questions.
Different Take on Africa - the importance of leadership
Tuesday 12th June 2012
Following the Joint Statement on the political economy of Africa, agreed by five research groups including DLP, we've been keeping the discussion going through the excellent 'Different take on Africa' blog. Today Adrian Leftwich posted a piece on the blog emphasising the importance of understanding the agential factors that have held back African development: the question of leadership. Specifically, what role leadership can play at "critical junctures in reconstructing coalitions, initiating new political settlements or sustaining old ones"? And the potential for developmental leaderships - in all sectors and levels of society - to mobilise people and resources to overcome the critical collective action problems that typically plague development in Africa.
'Reform' Coalitions: A New Concept Paper
Wednesday 9th May 2012
'Reform' coalitions have been noted by many authors in a very diverse range of literatures. But what do we know about them? And should we not understand better their role in the politics of development? What are the circumstances of their provenance, and the political conditions and characteristics of successful ones? Can it be demonstrated that such coalitions have contributed directly to growth and poverty reduction? And, if so, can or should donors work politically to facilitate, encourage and promote their emergence and functioning? In this paper Caryn Peiffer identifies some of the common features of these coalitions and suggests some of the important questions that will be explored by further DLP research.
Different Take on Africa - a joint statement
Thursday 3rd May 2012
The Danish Institute of International Studies (DIIS), recently brought together five major research groups, including the Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), to discuss and share their findings on the politics of development with special reference to Africa. While each of the research groups approach this key developmental question from different angles, they all explore the diverse ways in which political and policy choices, elites, leaders, informal institutions, incentive structures, coalitions and democratization processes have shaped development trajectories in different contexts. Their findings overlapped on enough common ground to enable the groups to agree a Joint Statement which can now be downloaded from the DLP website.
Riker in the Tropics: Revisiting the Theory of Political Coalitions (1962)
Wednesday 25th April 2012
As part of DLP's coalitions series, this paper revisits one of the earliest attempts to develop a theory of political coalitions, or perhaps a political theory of coalitions - William Riker's classic account of The Theory of Political Coalitions, first published in the early 1960s. While Riker's account focused essentially on legislative and electoral coalitions in stable institutional environments, many of the insights and questions in the book - such as, size, duration, stability, and coherence of goals - remain relevant for a wide range of reform and developmental coalitions in the politics of developing countries. The paper reviews Riker's theory, assesses its limitations, and suggests a series of important issues that require attention.
Coalitions in the Politics of Development - A Workshop Report
Wednesday 18th April 2012
'Coalitions' are part and parcel of everyday politics, everywhere, nationally and sub-nationally and in all sectors and issue areas. They are also central to the inner politics that shape political settlements and help solve collective action problems. Yet we know very little about what makes for successful coalitions, or what the international community can do to support the emergence of developmental coalitions. The workshop brought together practitioners, researchers and theorists from developed and developing societies and this report summarises the important continuities, generalizations and messages that we identified. It is the first in a series of papers that seek to clarify this pervasive feature of the politics of development.
Thinking and Working Politically Workshop - PNG
Thursday 16th February 2012
The latest in the, 'Thinking and Working Politically in Development Assistance' workshop series, hosted by the Developmental Leadership Program, in partnership with The Asia Foundation, took place in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Canberra (Australia) in December 2011. The workshops, designed to create a deeper understanding of the concept of 'thinking and working politically', encouraged participants to explore how this approach can be translated into aid programming in Papua New Guinea. Like earlier activities in the series, these workshops set out to provide an overview of the latest thinking and strategies for improving aid effectiveness using a political analysis approach, with a particular focus on the importance of politics and leadership.
Coalitions Workshop Sydney 15-16 February 2012
Wednesday 15th February 2012
Despite a potentially huge range of empirical evidence and examples, our understanding of how coalitions are formed, managed and funded, and what makes for successful coalitions remains remarkably limited. The purpose of the workshop is therefore to deepen our understanding of these crucial developmental political processes, to help classify different forms of coalitions, to derive significant policy and programmatic messages, and to formulate guidelines for the international community about how to broker, facilitate and support progressive developmental coalitions across sectors and issue areas. The workshop will draw on the rich experience and thinking of its participants - a mix of distinguished researchers and practitioners from a variety of contexts.
Leadership and the 'emerging' African 'success' stories
Thursday 9th February 2012
In his well-received book 'Emerging Africa: How 17 Countries Are Leading the Way', Steve Radelet distinguished between 'Emerging', 'Threshold' and 'Non-Emerging' countries in sub-Saharan Africa. He pointed out that the 'Emerging' countries had performed particularly well in terms of growth and democratization. This new paper, drawing on the DLP African Heads of State database, explores the potential contribution that leadership may have made to these stories. The analysis indicates that the Heads of State in 'Emerging' countries have in general had higher levels of education, are more mature, have a different and more diverse career history and less military experience than both their counterparts in their own countries before the mid-1990s and the leaders of 'Non-emerging' countries.
The Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre
Monday 30th January 2012
An important new research centre, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, has recently completed its inception year and is about to commence its substantive research program. The Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre (ESID) is based at the University of Manchester in the UK, with research partners in Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Malawi, Uganda and the US. ESID shares with DLP a commitment to understand better the politics of development. DLP welcomes the formation of ESID and we look forward to close cooperation in sharing ideas, findings and policy messages over the coming years.
New Asia Foundation book on the politics of economic reform in the Philippines
Monday 21st November 2011
The Asia Foundation, supported by USAID and AusAID, today launches an important new book, documenting the politics of some significant economic reforms in the Philippines. Built on Dreams, Grounded in Reality: Economic Policy Reform in the Philippines is a collection of analytical essays by leading development analysts and some of the participants in each of the reform processes. The book has a foreword by Adrian Leftwich, the Director of Research for the DLP. The theme of the book is the role played by 'developmental entrepreneurs' in the politics of reform and it illustrates through a number of cases how and why difficult battles were fought and, in some cases won, in pursuit of reform.
Commonwealth Secretariat Senior Leaders Forum "Leadership at the Centre"
Tuesday 15th November 2011
DLP's Director of Research, Adrian Leftwich, will be speaking at the Commonwealth Secretariat's Senior Leaders Forum on the 15th November. The event brings together public servants from around the Commonwealth to strengthen their roles in implementing policies and strategies for development in their country. The event also sees the launch of the "Commonwealth Governance Yearbook 2011/12", which is a collection of writings from public service practitioners and experts in public administration and management.
Trends and transformations in African political leadership since 1960: Some evidence
Monday 7th November 2011
In a recent speech, the former Prime Minister of the UK, Mr Tony Blair, has suggested that improvement in rates of economic growth and the stabilization of a variety of political orders in parts of Africa can in part be attributed to the role of leadership. New research about African political leadership since 1960, commissioned by DLP, provides some interesting evidence in support of Mr Blair's claim. In this thought-provoking paper, Monique Theron provides statistical trends and patterns over the last 50 years with respect to the profiles of different types of ruler, their educational qualifications, their field of tertiary study, their career histories before becoming Heads of State, their political backgrounds, their length of incumbency and how they gained and lost power.
Princeton University Program: Innovations for Successful Societies
Thursday 6th October 2011
Policy-makers, researchers and practitioners can learn a great deal about the complexity of the politics of reform from the direct experiences of reform leaderships in developing countries. The Innovations for Successful Societies at Princeton University is building a series of case studies and recordings of interviews with developmental leaders from around the world. This rich source of information will be of great value to those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the role which developmental leaderships and coalitions can play in promoting locally appropriate institutional and policy innovation and reform in the diverse contexts of their own countries.
11th UKFIET International Conference on Education and Development
Tuesday 13th September 2011
DLP Researcher Laura Brannelly (CfBT) will be presenting the findings of the first phase of DLP's research on Higher Education and Development at the 11th UKFIET International Conference on Education and Development in Oxford between the 13th-15th September. The theme for the conference is "Global Challenges for Education: Economics, Environment & Emergency". The main aim of the conference is to move education to the centre of the debate on global challenges in the 21st Century.
USAID Global Workshop on Education and Development: From Evidence to Action
Monday 22nd August 2011
DLP Researcher Susy Ndaruhutse (CfBT) was a plenary speaker at this year's "USAID Global Workshop on Education and Development: From Evidence to Action" between the 22nd-25th August in Virginia, USA. The main purpose of the workshop was to demonstrate the strategic importance of education in achieving US government development goals, and to provide critical and cutting edge training and orientation to USAID education and capacity development sector staff and their present and potential partners. Susy Ndaruhutse's session was entitled 'Mobilizing Higher Education for Developmental Leadership'.
Working Politically for Pro-Poor Policies in Indonesia
Friday 5th August 2011
This excellent paper by the Asia Foundation explores the politics of local coalitions working to expand coverage of health services for the poor in two municipalities in Central Java, Indonesia - Semarang and Pekalongan. The research, by Laurel MacLaren, Alam Surya Putra and Erman Rahman, shows that facilitating and supporting the emergence and activities of coalitions of leaders and CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) can be a highly effective means of achieving pro-poor policy outcomes in some institutional contexts.
Society for International Development World Congress 2011
Friday 29th July 2011
DLP's Director of Research, Adrian Leftwich, presented at one of the panels at the Triennial World Congress of the Society for International Development (SID), in Washington DC between the 29th-31st July 2011. The panel was entitled "Looking Forward: Pathways toward Inclusion through Political Change" and his presentation was on 'Beyond and below Institutions: organizations, politics and leadership'. The theme of this year's congress was "Our Common Challenge: A World Moving toward a Sustainable Future" and the event brought together professionals from diverse sectors and constituencies to debate critical ideas, policies and practices and to shape future development thinking and policy.
Examining the Drivers of Change in Yemen - a presentation to Australian Government departments
Monday 18th July 2011
DLP Researcher, Dr Sarah Phillips from the Centre for International Security Studies, University of Sydney, gave a thought-provoking and timely presentation on the 8 June 2011 in AusAID in Canberra, entitled "Examining the Drivers of Change in Yemen: Informal Institutions and Agency". Speaking to an audience of AusAID staff and representatives from various government departments including the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade, and other guests, Dr Phillips provided a unique insight into the Yemeni regime's opaque internal politics, and the nature of the patronage system entrenched by President Ali Abdullah Saleh over the past 32 years.
DLP and Oxfam: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Workshop
Monday 27th June 2011
The Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), in collaboration with our partner, Oxfam Australia, recently held the first of three workshops exploring how we can incorporate an understanding of leadership and coalitions (agency) into effective monitoring and evaluation practices for development programs. The workshop brought together representatives from AusAID, The Asia Foundation, Leadership PNG, the Pacific Leadership Program and the Oxfam International Youth Partnerships program. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Linda Kelly, a development consultant and Chris Roche, Director of Development Effectiveness at Oxfam Australia.
A Report on DLP's first Research and Policy Workshop in Frankfurt
Monday 20th June 2011
There is now wide recognition that political processes - and especially the role of leaderships and coalitions - are fundamental in shaping and sustaining the institutional and policy environment that promotes or frustrates sustainable economic growth and inclusive social development. That being so, what is to be done? What does it mean for development policy and practice? In seeking to address some of these issues, the DLP held its first Research and Policy Workshop in Frankfurt in March, 2011. This paper provides a summary of the key findings, insights and initial guidance arising from the workshop and from recent phases of DLP research.
Examining the Drivers of Change in Yemen
Wednesday 8th June 2011
Dr Sarah Phillips, from the Centre for International Security Studies, Sydney University, presented her work on the crisis in Yemen to an audience of Australian officials from across government, and other interested parties, in AusAID on Wednesday, 8th June. Dr Phillips' presentation looked behind the scenes at the Yemeni regime's opaque internal politics and at the nature of the system entrenched by President Ali Abdullah Saleh over the past 32 years. It also discussed the implications of this for Western counter-terrorism policies in Yemen.
UN Women International Roundtable in Egypt
Thursday 2nd June 2011
Dr. Mariz Tadros presented the findings from her recent DLP research paper, "Working Politically Behind Red Lines: Structure and agency in a comparative study of women's coalitions in Egypt and Jordan", at the International Roundtable: "Pathways for Women in Democratic Transitions - International Experiences and Lessons Learned", on June 2nd 2011in Cairo. The objective of this Roundtable was to explore paths towards democratic transitions that ensure good governance, gender equality and social justice.
Research and Policy Workshop in Frankfurt
Monday 4th April 2011
The Developmental Leadership Program (DLP) held its first Research and Policy Workshop in Frankfurt on 10th and 11th March, 2011, facilitated by the GIZ. The focus of the DLP is on the role of developmental leaderships and coalitions in the politics of sustainable growth, political stability and inclusive social development. The purpose of the workshop was to explore and elaborate the policy, programme and operational implications of the recently completed phase of DLP research and to map the way forward for future research, policy and communications activities.
New book on 'Ownership and Political Steering in Developing Countries'
Friday 18th March 2011
Donors increasingly recognise the political dimension of development cooperation and that they themselves are political actors. But how can this 'political' role be aligned with the interests and ideas of partner countries, and with the principle of ownership? How are partnerships and mutual trust created and maintained through the ups and downs of daily cooperation? How does policy making take place in partner countries, and how can donor and supply driven cooperation be avoided? This collection of essays, published by GIZ, offers important practical insights for policy-makers and practitioners alike.
New Paper: Ethics and integrity in the politics of developmental leadership
Wednesday 9th March 2011
It is often argued (by the World Bank and other development organizations) that integrity and ethical leadership are critical components of good governance. But what is 'ethical leadership'? What is 'developmental integrity'? How is it achieved? And what are the conditions for sustaining it? This new study by Eduard Grebe and Minka Woermann - intended to help policy-makers think clearly about ethics and integrity in relation to developmental issues - develops a conceptual framework for thinking about integrity and leadership in developmental contexts, not only in terms of individual behaviour, but also in terms of institutions.
New Paper: Working Politically Behind Red Lines: Women's Coalitions in Egypt and Jordan
Wednesday 23rd February 2011
"Engaging politically behind red lines" examines six cases of collective initiatives to advance women's rights in Egypt and Jordan between 2000 and 2010. The study explores what accounts for the emergence, success and failure of women's coalitions in these two countries. Using a case study approach, the study examines the interface between collective agency and structure in two national contexts characterized by authoritarian rule and powerful Islamist movements strongly opposed to any structural transformation of gender hierarchies.
New Paper: The Politics of a Women's Rights Coalition in South Africa
Wednesday 23rd February 2011
How do women's rights groups campaign for vital institutional reform of archaic laws on sexual violence in new democracies? How can they best 'work politically' to achieve positive outcomes? What lessons are there for donors and supporters? This research paper uses findings from a study of the National Working Group on Sexual Offences to demonstrate how civil society coalitions may draw on and expand their elite networks and exploit political and institutional arrangements to build developmental partnerships.
A new publication: Higher education and the formation of developmental elites
Monday 21st February 2011
Does higher education have a role in promoting the emergence of developmental leaders and elites? Could higher education play a vital role in producing a pool of people with the capacity and vision to constitute progressive development leadership across sectors? And does higher education contribute to the formation of networks that facilitate the emergence of developmental coalitions? As the first step in a longer program of work to collect the evidence, this research paper surveys the literature on this question and offers a preliminary data analysis.
A new publication: An analysis of leadership development programmes
Monday 21st February 2011
Do 'leadership development programmes' contribute to positive development outcomes or do they only enhance the careers of their participants? Could they do both and, if so, how? What criteria can donors use in deciding whether and how to support, fund, influence or design such programmes? This paper reviews the evidence about leadership development programmes as a tool for development policy. It argues that donor and recipient organisations need to be much more discriminating when choosing to support or design a programme, and that understanding the 'political' nature of leadership is the key to choosing or designing a good programme.
Workshop: Political dimensions of development programming
Tuesday 15th February 2011
The Developmental Leadership Program, in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF), ran the second in a series of workshops entitled 'Political Dimensions of Development Programming' in Manila, Philippines from 15-16 February 2011. The workshop brought together TAF Representatives working in the Philippines and the region, AusAID staff based in the Philippines, and selected non-government partners.
New paper on 'The Anatomy of Political Predation in Zimbabwe'
Tuesday 1st February 2011
Why, after liberation in 1980, did the ruling political elite in Zimbabwe resort more to predation than development and bring about the terrible economic and political decline in that country? And why, even in the face of the current political and economic crises, have rival elites failed to forge a common developmental coalition? In this research paper, commissioned for the DLP, Michael Bratton and Eldred Masunungure offer a fine-grained political analysis of this story.
New paper on 'Growth Alliances: Insights from Egypt'
Wednesday 5th January 2011
A recent paper in Business and Politics explores the emergence, evolution and forms of 'growth alliances' in Egypt. Professors Abla Abdel-Latif, of the American University in Cairo, and Hubert Schmitz, of the Institute of Development Studies, show how largely informal and politically-negotiated relations helped to shape alliances between some business sectors and key policy-makers without apparently becoming abused for private gain.
The Elephant in the Room: Politics and the Development Problem
Monday 13th December 2010
The Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University hosted a workshop on 13-14 December 2010 entitled "The Elephant in the Room: Politics and the Development Problem".
Political Dimensions of Development Programming
Thursday 2nd December 2010
A joint DLP-Asia Foundation workshop on the Political Dimensions of Development Programming was held in Canberra, Australia, on 2nd and 3rd December 2010 for staff of AusAID.
New papers on 'Political Settlements'
Tuesday 16th November 2010
We draw your attention to two recent papers, one by Dr Bill Cole and Tom Parks of the Asia Foundation (a partner organization of the DLP); and the other by Dr Edward Laws, a DLP Researcher.
Lowy Institute paper on Leadership
Thursday 28th October 2010
A recent study by the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, funded by the DLP, explores the influence which secondary and higher education and scholarships have had on leaderships in Samoa and Timor Leste.
First International Conference in Responsible Leadership
Wednesday 19th May 2010
Eduard Grebe and Minka Woermann will be presented a paper entitled "Institutions of integrity and integrity of institutions: integrity and ethics in the politics of developmental leadership" at the First International Conference in Responsible Leadership.
GTZ Brown Bag Lunch
Monday 22nd March 2010
Adrian Leftwich gave a brown bag lunch at GTZ talking on: "Beyond Institutions: Leaders, Elites and Coalitions in the Politics of Development"