Transformational Leaders and Social Change: IFP Impacts in Africa and the Middle East

The fourth report from our 10-year tracking study of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP), Transformational Leaders and Social Change provides important insights into the personal, organizational, community, and societal impacts of IFP alumni in Kenya, Nigeria, Palestine, and South Africa, drawn from the perspectives of 361 IFP alumni and local stakeholders.The results of this study show that the program had a positive impact on participants, with alumni saying that their IFP experience increased their confidence, awareness, self-identity, commitment, leadership, career advancement despite challenges upon re-entry at the end of the fellowship. Some alumni returned to face career barriers endemic to their community and home region, such as high unemployment rates and other labor market challenges. At an organizational level, alumni and community stakeholders said that these organizations now have a stronger work ethic, consistency, transparency, and accountability since alumni returned to their home communities. Stakeholders also said that the alumni they work with are more reliable and committed to getting the job done

Contributions du centre de recherches pour le développement international à la formation des chefs de file émergents de la recherche pour le développement

English version available in IDRC Digital Librar

Evaluation of the Information and Networks in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (INASSA) Program

The project aims to strengthen evidence with regards to connections between the use of digital information networks and economic growth, democratic reform, and educational opportunities in the developing world. The evaluation assesses INASSA’s implementation and delivery of results, while identifying areas for learning and improvement. For instance: developing individual researchers’ capacity was key in achieving program results in alignment with the program’s theory of change; monitoring overall program management was complicated and could be made more efficient; a Knowledge Management approach could further support programmatic efficiency in project management, including shared learning outcomes

Social Justice Leaders in Action: IFP Impacts in Asia

The second report from our 10-year impact study of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP), Social Justice Leaders in Action provides an in-depth look at the lives and careers of IFP alumni in three Asian countries—India, Indonesia, and the Philippines—detailing the different pathways alumni have taken and the ways they have leveraged their skills and networks to effect change.Drawing upon focus groups and interviews with 274 IFP alumni and community stakeholders, this qualitative research highlights the stories behind the numbers shared in the study's first report, Social Justice and Sustainable Change: The Impacts of Higher Education, released in April 2016. The findings from Social Justice Leaders in Action provide insights not only at how life-altering IFP was at an individual level, but how that transformative power extends through alumni to their organizations, communities, and societies

IDRC’s contributions to building emerging research for development leaders

library has French versionThe International Development Research Centre (IDRC) commissioned the Institute of International Education (IIE) to carry out a comprehensive evaluation to inform its second strategic objective—Building the Leaders for Today and Tomorrow—and to evaluate IDRC’s investments in strengthening the capacity of graduate students and early career researchers to be leaders in their fields. The purpose of the evaluation was threefold: (1) evaluate the strategies used in IDRC’s programming and analyze how the interventions have contributed to the career pathways of awardees and grantees; (2) assess the effectiveness of IDRC’s award programs and grants, including their considerations on gender and social equity; and (3) identify lessons learned regarding the success of leadership programs