Thinking and working politically (TWP) entails carefully considering the operating context and how project interventions might affect it, then adapting the interventions to best advance common objectives within the local system. This report responds to the question of what explains practitioners’ particular interest in TWP as an explicit strategy and more than just “doing good…
In 2020, there were more than 122,000 reported cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in Colombia. The country has also seen a rise in femicides in recent years. Since January 2022, the USAID Inclusive Justice Activity has been trying to improve Colombian citizens’ trust in the justice system by increasing access to justice services and reducing…
This Symposium presented experience and research from the past five years of Chemonics’ programming and others’ experiences using political economy analysis and savvy, adaptive approaches to improve development effectiveness and sustainability. Speakers explored future uses of Thinking and Working Politically (TWP), including integration with behavior science and supporting locally-led development. The Symposium took place in-person…
This virtual Forum brought together development practitioners, donors, and academics working to overcome the obstacles to sustainable progress created by corrupt practices and institutions to varying degrees in every country and every sector of development where USAID, Chemonics, and our partners around the world are pushing for meaningful changes that improve people’s lives. We used…
This post originally appeared on XCEPT, a programme which Chemonics is a leading partner. More than thirty years after some scholars wondered if the end of the Cold War might herald the end of war as we know it, humanity is fighting at least 27 armed conflicts, more than at any time since the Second World War. Two billion…
Chris currently serves as team leader on the HMG-funded Western Balkans Rule of Law Initiative, a highly adaptive transparency & accountability and criminal justice program working across each of the Western Balkans 6. Chris is a lawyer by background and has worked on many aspects of criminal, civil, and commercial justice as well as on…
Trust is a vital but often overlooked element of international development. Whether in formal spaces such as state healthcare or informal projects like community campaigns, trust has the power to make or break development initiatives. If those involved in a project trust each other, the chances of its success and sustainability are vastly improved. Yet…
Trust flavors our life choices. It lays the foundations of our social and professional relationships. It colors the way we engage with organizations, services, and people. Globally, trust in public institutions appears to be decaying. The ‘fake news’ phenomenon has damaged perceptions of traditional media. The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to widespread vaccine hesitancy, in some…
Trust is a familiar concept, yet one too often ignored in programme design. It isan essential ingredient of mutually beneficial human relationships. Internationaldevelopment projects, particularly those in the field of governance, rely on relationshipsto meet their objectives. Trust smooths collaboration between project staff, donors,local stakeholders, governments, and, ultimately, the people who benefit fromprogramming. Despite its…
“Research enables us to identify how best to address the challenges that impact society. The good thing is that governments are starting to acknowledge the potential for research to drive national development.” Joy is unequivocal, and her belief in her work is easy to see. “This is my passion: ensuring that evidence can impact policy…
Bakhtiyor Inamov has 35 years of experience in academics, public administration agencies, business and civil sectors, project management and implementation of projects in public administration, water management, and improvement of services. While working at the USAID projects on Self Governance, provided expert support to the Government of Tajikistan during reforms of state governance at the…
Savrinisso Kurbonbekova has been with the USAID Rural Water Supply (RWS) Activity since Dec. 1, 2020, and has 23 years of experience working for international organizations, with 20 years of experience in training programs management, including needs assessment, international marketing, monitoring and evaluation of training programs. This included developing and implementing USAID-sponsored US, regional, and…