The Bellagio Initiative: Aide-mémoire

The Bellagio Initiative was developed by The Rockefeller Foundation, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the Resource Alliance to contribute to the development of a new framework for philanthropic and international development collaboration in pursuit of human wellbeing in the 21st century. It has incorporated a series of consultations spanning most regions of the world, garnered advice and guidance from an international Advisory Council, generated nine commissioned papers on a series of relevant topics, included a 15-day Summit at The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center, in Italy, and involved more than a thousand individuals across the world through social media. The aim of this aide-mémoire is to capture key lessons learned and to maintain the momentum and commitment from those individuals who have brought such a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this process throughout 2011.The Resource Alliance, Rockefeller Foundatio

Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy: Outputs November 2012 – March 2014

Knowledge and evidence are important elements of all policy processes. While the availability of more or higher quality evidence does not guarantee better policy processes, it is difficult to imagine how development policy and outcomes can be improved without it. In addition to a myriad of development problems, the increasing recognition of diversity, complexity and context means that policy-relevant knowledge and evidence must address different scales of analysis, speak to different audiences and be accessible in a variety of formats. This brochure presents selected outputs from the first two years of an IDS programme entitled Strengthening Evidence-based Policy funded through an Accountable Grant from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Work under this grant addresses six major policy themes: 1. Reducing Hunger and Undernutrition 2. Addressing and Mitigating Violence 3. Empowerment of Women and Girls 4. Pro-Poor Electricity Provision 5. Rising Powers in International Development 6. Sexuality, Poverty and Law In addition, there is a cross-cutting theme focusing on Foresight, Impact Assessment and Rapid Response. Work under this grant privileges the review and synthesis of existing knowledge and evidence over new primary research. The modus operandi is one of ‘co-construction’: a broad range of partners have played critical roles in the conception, generation and dissemination of these outputs. Beyond publication, IDS and its partners are actively working to integrate these outputs, and the lessons and recommendations that emerge from them, into policy processes at local, national and global scales.UK Department for International Developmen

Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy: Outputs April 2014 – March 2015

In much writing about development, policy and practice are portrayed as if they are joined at the hip. Policy shapes practice, while learning from practice informs policy processes. In this portrayal, practice is usually understood to refer to development practice, or how development programmes and projects are implemented. There is another important but less commonly invoked aspect of the policy – practice dyad, and this relates to the practices and routines associated with policy processes. These practices and routines vary depending on national or institutional context. One critical aspect of difference is how these practices and routines interface with the shifting sands of knowledge and evidence. It is widely appreciated that politics plays a central role in driving policy. The needs to delineate the new regime from the old, to make a mark, or to lay the foundations for a political legacy, are as much a part of the policy dynamic as the desire to promote good change or do the right thing. And one of the central tensions in this heady mix politics and complex real-world problems is between action and reflection. A major misconception associated with the evidence-based policy movement, particularly as it diffused to more complex social policy arenas like development, was of evidence as a kind of ‘plug and play’ commodity. In this view, research provides evidence of what works, and this evidence can then be easily and beneficially plugged into policy processes. The latest tranche of outputs of the Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy programme, described in this catalogue, challenge this ‘plug and play’ view of evidence-based policy. Specifically they demonstrate that in the complex, dynamic and contested policy areas addressed by the programme – including sexuality, conflict, hunger, the caring economy, green transformation and the changing geo-politics of development – evidence only comes alive and has meaning in the context of context. This is certainly not to dismiss the notion of evidence-based policy. Rather, as amply illustrated by the outputs in this catalogue, the experience of this programme suggests that evidence without reflection can do little to improve the practice of development policy.UK Department for International Developmen

Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Outputs: April 2015 – December 2016

This is the third and final brochure describing the outputs of the Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy programme. Over 57 months this programme generated and synthesised policy-relevant evidence, and contributed to policy processes around seven major themes, including: food and nutrition; addressing and mitigating violence; empowerment of women and girls; pro-poor electricity provision; rising powers in international development; sexuality, law and development; and policy anticipation, response and evaluation. During the last nine months of the programme additional work was undertaken in a number of other areas. Some would argue that we have entered into a ‘post-truth era'. This is intimately tied to the programme’s central concern with evidence – what it is, how it is synthesised and presented, and where it is lacking – and the roles it plays in public policy to reduce poverty and inequality, and promote sustainable development. It is not that we previously believed we operated in a ‘truth era’ or that expert advice was or should be beyond question. Indeed, the theory of change that underpinned the Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy programme made explicit our appreciation of the politics of knowledge, and its implications for the policy process. To one degree or another, everything about evidence is political. But this recognition does not lead us to throw our hands into the air, or to despair of any possibility that research and new knowledge creation can contribute to better development policy and outcomes. Rather it makes us all the more aware of the opportunities and dangers associated with the different pathways to policy change, and how the politics of evidence play out – and can be influenced – in these different pathways. For scientific study and evidence of what works to continue to be relevant and effective we must rededicate ourselves to critical reflection, methodological appropriateness, participation, partnership and creative engagement, and a heightened awareness of the evolving politics of knowledge – what at IDS we call ‘engaged excellence’. The outputs described in this brochure, and the demonstrable policy impacts they have already had, help point the way.UK Department for International Developmen

Independent Evaluation of the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Kenya: Formative Evaluation Findings

Too many women in Kenya are dying in childbirth. Too many newborn babies don’t survive the first month of their lives. The Government of Kenya is responding with support from international partners. Since 2013, maternity services have been provided free of charge by government hospitals and health centres. However, many challenges remain. There is a strong tradition of home deliveries and hospitals or health centres are often far away. The roads to reach the health centres may not be safe at night, or the fare for the taxi may not be affordable. Throughout the country there is a severe shortage of trained doctors and midwives and many health centres are poorly equipped and may not even have electricity or running water. The DFID-funded Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Programme (MNH Programme) started to address these issues in 2014 with a grant of £75.3 million over five years. It is active in six counties, home of nearly one quarter of the Kenya’s population of about 48 million. The midterm evaluation in 2016 found that the MNH Programme addresses some key causes of maternal and newborn health with an appropriate mix of interventions to strengthen the Kenyan health system at all levels, including in the communities. The implementation of some MNH Programme components started late. Training of doctors and midwives in emergency obstetric care was one of the first sets of activities to get underway, and it has started to show results. In 2016, it was, however, still too early for a robust assessment of the number of deaths averted by the programme. Nevertheless, the information collected and documented by the evaluation will serve as a valuable baseline on which such an assessment can be made in 2018 when the 5-year MNH Programme will be nearing its end.DFI

IDS Annual Review 2017

This year's Annual Review reflects our unique approach to development through ‘engaged excellence’. In a year that has seen rapid and unexpected global change politically, economically and socially, our engaged excellence approach – and its emphasis on robust evidence, cocreating knowledge with others, delivering real impact, and working in partnerships – has never seemed so vital. The IDS Annual Review 2017: Development through Engaged Excellence provides an overview of our values, work and approach, together with reflections from our Director on how far we have come and where we are heading. Partnerships at the heart of transformative change Discover how we are strengthening our strategic partnerships in research and mutual learning to cocreate and share high quality knowledge. See our partnering values in practice and examples of how we work in partnership. World-class learning Ranked first in the world for development studies, see how we are supporting the next generation of development leaders to fulfil their potential and help achieve positive and transformative change for everyone, everywhere. Addressing the three defining challenges of our era Read how we are contributing to transformations that reduce inequalities, accelerate sustainability and build inclusive and secure societies

IDS Project Workflow Toolkit

Truly effective resource sharing depends upon each library running at peak efficiency. The goal of the Workflow Toolkit is to help ILL staff implement best practices that will save valuable turnaround time, while also cutting the costs of doing business. Maintained by the IDS Project\u27s Mentors, in partnership with Atlas Systems, the Toolkit provides best practices that can enhance all aspects of borrowing, lending, and document delivery services through ILLiad customizations, resource sharing strategies, and workflow improvements. View the online version for the most recent updates and additions.https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/idsproject-press/1000/thumbnail.jp