For a state to be effective, it must carry out a core set of governance capabilities that meet citizens’ expectations and earn public trust while setting the conditions for economic and market development. Effective and accountable states must also participate in a global community of nations, which is governed by shared international norms and standards. ISE works to refine concepts and frameworks for governance, economic and civic engagement, and international relationships.
There is an urgent and universal need to develop an agenda and framework for reimagining the state’s ability to understand and meet evolving citizen expectations and help ensure a global order that works in the interests of all sectors of society. ISE’s State of the State initiative aims to reinvigorate a collective agenda on state effectiveness by listening to leaders and citizens alike to assess emerging global trends impacting the role of the state, build on the lessons of the last decade of reform and statecraft, and explore the ‘how-to’ of making the state more effective and legitimate. The overall goal of this multi-year dialogue is to design a forward-looking Agenda for the State for the next 10-15 years that can align the efforts of different stakeholders, bridge communities of practices, and help guide future policy and academic directions. Read more about the challenges and opportunities facing the state-centric international model here.
In the allocation of scarce public resources, good budgeting is an art and a skill. It is a core function of government, and as such, it is fundamentally a political process with many competing objectives.…
The massive proliferation of data has fundamentally changed the systems of modern governance and development. Leveraging sustainable and cohesive data ecosystems, and understanding the limits of data’s use, are unique challenges for country-led transformations that…
As part of ISE’s State of the State project, this paper provides an outline of the global challenges and trends facing the state-centric international model and suggests pathways to support and build institutions that deliver…
This article originally appeared in The Hill on November 2, 2017 By Clare Lockhart and David Thorpe Hurricane Maria left no corner of Puerto Rico untouched, meting out systematic destruction to the island and the lives…
When a government adopts a team-based performance management approach, it sends the powerful message that the state values institutional culture as the primary determinant of performance. This Development Practice Note explains how a team-based approach…