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.
Reducing violence against defenders of the Amazon: a political economy approach
This Working Paper by TPP Principal Niki Palmer explores why environmental defenders in Brazil’s Amazon face persistent violence. It shows how powerful economic interests and competing ideas about the Amazon fuel conflict and impunity. It outlines three realistic pathways to strengthen protections, shift incentives toward conservation and reduce violence.
New guidance on context analysis
In collaboration with the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron has prepared a guidance note setting out options for context analysis (political economy analysis, conflict analysis, institutional reviews, etc). It provides advice to make sure the analysis is politically informed and influential with decision makers.
A new narrative for climate action in a radically changed world - Part 3
In Part 3: Arguments for international climate action, TPP Director Neil McCulloch shows how this new approach would change international cooperation on climate action.