Governance in a new development paradigm: Reformer leadership and partnership humility
This Working Paper, written by TPP Principal Wilfred Mwamba, calls for a major shift in how international actors support governance. With governance aid expected to decline sharply, the central question becomes whether reforms would continue if donor funding ended. Evidence from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe shows a consistent pattern: reforms last when domestic reformers control design and implementation; they collapse when donors dominate the agenda. Lasting reform relies on political realism, reform agency, and partnership humility.
The paper argues that too much governance aid still produces “performance theatre”: busy programmes, dashboards and workshops that generate impressive activity but little durable change. To counter this, it outlines five shifts external partners must adopt:
- Build platforms governed by domestic reformers
- Underwrite political and financial risk without taking control
- Fund data that meets citizen demand
- support coalitions rather than direct them
- Plan institutionalisation from the outset rather than at exit
A five-part “Partnership Test” helps distinguish genuine partnership from donor-driven substitution, emphasising mutual benefit, power transparency, risk-sharing, design authority and early domestic ownership.
As non-Official Development Assistance finance (such as climate funds, private capital and South–South cooperation) grows in importance, governance capability determines access to this new funding.
TPP supports innovative apiculture initiative in the Republic of Congo
(Photo shared by @AfricanBee)
The Policy Practice is supporting an apiculture initiative in the Republic of Congo with Palladium under the Partnerships for Forests. Led by Theodore Trefon, it aims to scale beekeeping into a market-based model, combining political economy analysis, digital tools and participatory revenue systems.
Two decades of Thinking and Working Politically in Nigeria
This blog sets out how our team of Nigeria experts helps development partners navigate Nigeria's political economy, from shaping programme design to providing just-in-time analysis during implementation. Read about our work across governance, education, climate, agriculture and conflict, and why our grounded, advisory approach matters more than ever as development budgets tighten.
New guidance on stakeholder analysis and network mapping
In collaboration with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice, TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron and TPP Principal Wilfred Mwamba have prepared a guidance note on how to undertake a dynamic stakeholder analysis and political network mapping, both of which can be used to support international cooperation and development partnerships.