The success of building self-reliant states is directly tied to the effective management of complex development partnerships. ISE’s work on development and foreign aid focuses on how those partnerships can be maximized, taking into account lessons from past cases. ISE’s work draws on the experiences of practitioners in the field as well as policy experts to redefine development partnerships that build capacity, leverage existing assets, foster context-specific policies, and support country-led strategies. Additionally, our Development Practice Note series presents new and innovative practitioner-focused ideas across a variety of fields in development.
Over the past twenty years, the international community has agreed again and again that traditional aid effectiveness practices – which often drain local capacity, fragment projects, and spurn national strategies – are not working, but have made little progress at improvements. ISE’s Re-examining the Terms of Aid (RTOA) project is reviewing components to develop an operating model to more effectively implement these commitments. ISE is taking stock of its own experience and research, conducting interviews in Rwanda, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Somalia, along with engaging host governments, donor agencies, civil society, and the security sector to examine best practices, analyze incentive structures, and bridge the gap between country-level implementation and international frameworks. Read the full report here.
How did Himachal Pradesh evolve to become one of India’s wealthiest states, with low poverty levels and above-average literacy? The prospect appeared unlikely when 30 princely Hill states merged to form a state characterized by…
Recommendations from the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Fragile States The citizens of fragile states are not waiting for change; they now take to the streets demanding inclusion in decision-making and marketplace opportunities.…
Confronted by set of deeply entrenched obstacles, the government of Bihar adopted a carefully structured approach to state-building. In this paper we assess the measures it took to consolidate the rule of law, build key…
How did Singapore transform itself from a breakaway island state few considered viable, wracked with ethnic tension, political and economic problems, to a thriving economic hub and global financial center? Which areas of economy and…
Despite Nepal’s economic potential, disagreement on forming an enabling environment for business is entrenching informal and corrupt rules. This impedes licit businesses, restricting trade and investment. This article proposes how the government should partner with…