Ongoing and likely future cuts in foreign aid suggest that the basic model of Official Development Assistance (ODA) is effectively dead. The question is what can replace it.
Purpose
To critique the past and now dying system of ODA, and consider how countries can meet ongoing global challenges in an effective manner, in crucial areas such as poverty and hunger reduction, addressing the impacts of climate change and seeking to mitigate it, dealing with public health emergencies, etc.
Approach and Methods
This is a qualitative assessment, using some empirical data from secondary sources.
Findings
There were many flaws with the ODA system, with dwindling foreign aid, and donors’ decisions based on geopolitical considerations. Now it is time to reconsider the conceptual and practical basis of ODA to create a new paradigm of fiscal policy for the 21st century based on Global Public Investment. In this model, countries commit to pool resources and efforts towards common goals, especially in areas that address pressing global issues such as climate change, pollution, nutrition and health.
{"title":"Can the end of ‘foreign aid’ be the beginning of global public investment?","authors":"Jayati Ghosh","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ongoing and likely future cuts in foreign aid suggest that the basic model of Official Development Assistance (ODA) is effectively dead. The question is what can replace it.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To critique the past and now dying system of ODA, and consider how countries can meet ongoing global challenges in an effective manner, in crucial areas such as poverty and hunger reduction, addressing the impacts of climate change and seeking to mitigate it, dealing with public health emergencies, etc.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This is a qualitative assessment, using some empirical data from secondary sources.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There were many flaws with the ODA system, with dwindling foreign aid, and donors’ decisions based on geopolitical considerations. Now it is time to reconsider the conceptual and practical basis of ODA to create a new paradigm of fiscal policy for the 21st century based on Global Public Investment. In this model, countries commit to pool resources and efforts towards common goals, especially in areas that address pressing global issues such as climate change, pollution, nutrition and health.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In recent years, foreign aid donors have tried to become more transparent, often by sharing information digitally. However, the politicization of individual aid projects has resulted in biased reporting, raising doubts about the legitimacy of aid in general. We therefore examine whether increased transparency leads to greater government effectiveness and public trust.
Purpose
Government agencies typically assume that greater transparency in public administration improves understanding of bureaucratic actions, thereby fostering trust in the government. In foreign aid, openness is believed to enhance public confidence and improve the effectiveness of governments. However, recent public and political reactions to the disclosure of aid information cast doubt on these optimistic assumptions.
Approach and methods
Using our sender-mediator-receiver model of a “fragile transparency loop,” we analyse how communication breaks down in German foreign aid. First, we focus on Germany as a donor that shares information through a digital transparency portal, examining the sender side. Second, we investigate the mediator side by conducting a qualitative content analysis of German online media articles. Third, we examine the receiver side by disaggregating the German public into several subgroups.
Findings
Our empirical findings suggest that, while donors assume a virtuous transparency loop, the reality can resemble a fragile transparency loop that is easily disrupted. The government may withhold information; mediators may spread misinformation; and the public may not receive information neutrally. These dynamics explain why, despite increasing transparency, donors may not achieve the intended increases in government effectiveness and public trust.
Policy implications
Donors should find a balanced approach to foreign aid transparency that upholds democratic accountability while avoiding information overload. Aid bureaucracies should tailor their disclosure to serve different audiences, including professionals with development expertise and the wider public, who may have preconceptions or be uninformed about foreign aid.
{"title":"Foreign aid transparency amid politicization","authors":"Heiner Janus, Tim Röthel","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In recent years, foreign aid donors have tried to become more transparent, often by sharing information digitally. However, the politicization of individual aid projects has resulted in biased reporting, raising doubts about the legitimacy of aid in general. We therefore examine whether increased transparency leads to greater government effectiveness and public trust.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Government agencies typically assume that greater transparency in public administration improves understanding of bureaucratic actions, thereby fostering trust in the government. In foreign aid, openness is believed to enhance public confidence and improve the effectiveness of governments. However, recent public and political reactions to the disclosure of aid information cast doubt on these optimistic assumptions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using our sender-mediator-receiver model of a “fragile transparency loop,” we analyse how communication breaks down in German foreign aid. First, we focus on Germany as a donor that shares information through a digital transparency portal, examining the sender side. Second, we investigate the mediator side by conducting a qualitative content analysis of German online media articles. Third, we examine the receiver side by disaggregating the German public into several subgroups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our empirical findings suggest that, while donors assume a virtuous transparency loop, the reality can resemble a fragile transparency loop that is easily disrupted. The government may withhold information; mediators may spread misinformation; and the public may not receive information neutrally. These dynamics explain why, despite increasing transparency, donors may not achieve the intended increases in government effectiveness and public trust.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Donors should find a balanced approach to foreign aid transparency that upholds democratic accountability while avoiding information overload. Aid bureaucracies should tailor their disclosure to serve different audiences, including professionals with development expertise and the wider public, who may have preconceptions or be uninformed about foreign aid.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dpr.70038","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest tenure security plays a critical role in improving the livelihoods of those who live in and around forests and simultaneously contribute to forest conservation. Governments around the world have tried to strengthen tenure through titling programmes. Little is known about how forest titling contributes in practice to tenure security and how it affects local investment in forest management.
Purpose
This research aims to understand the legal, practical, and perceptual dimensions of forest tenure (in)security after the titling programme; and to examine causal paths from tenure (in)security to local investment in forest management.
Approach and methods
Taking Southwest China as an example, the article uses mixed methods to integrate qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Quantitative data were collected using a standardized questionnaire from 410 selected households. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 45 key informants, including forest officials, village heads, elders, women, and local forest rangers. Nine focus group interviews were set up to learn about local perspectives on collective forest tenure reform and perceived tenure (in)security.
Findings
Although legal tenure security has been improved by forest titling, both practical and perceived tenure insecurity continue to exist.
Titling in the three sites varied between collective and individual titles, and by the degree to which either category had been certified. Context played a crucial role; for example, areas where farmers had planted rubber trees were more likely to have individual titles. In some cases, forest lands remained under dispute and were not certified.
Although legal tenure security has been improved by forest titling, in practice, rights to harvest timber and other forest products were restricted by regulations that undermined tenure security. Again, the degree of restriction varies according to local context.
Tenure insecurity also arose from the uncertainty of the duration of rights holding, as legal durations and local perceptions of duration diverged.
Tenure security did not necessarily encourage investment in the management of forests; local context mattered more than tenure.
{"title":"Has forest titling strengthened tenure security? A multidimensional analysis of collective forest tenure reform in Southwest China","authors":"Jun He, Jiping Wang, Bin Yang, Na Guo","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70035","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Forest tenure security plays a critical role in improving the livelihoods of those who live in and around forests and simultaneously contribute to forest conservation. Governments around the world have tried to strengthen tenure through titling programmes. Little is known about how forest titling contributes in practice to tenure security and how it affects local investment in forest management.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This research aims to understand the legal, practical, and perceptual dimensions of forest tenure (in)security after the titling programme; and to examine causal paths from tenure (in)security to local investment in forest management.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Taking Southwest China as an example, the article uses mixed methods to integrate qualitative and quantitative perspectives. Quantitative data were collected using a standardized questionnaire from 410 selected households. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 45 key informants, including forest officials, village heads, elders, women, and local forest rangers. Nine focus group interviews were set up to learn about local perspectives on collective forest tenure reform and perceived tenure (in)security.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although legal tenure security has been improved by forest titling, both practical and perceived tenure insecurity continue to exist.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Titling in the three sites varied between collective and individual titles, and by the degree to which either category had been certified. Context played a crucial role; for example, areas where farmers had planted rubber trees were more likely to have individual titles. In some cases, forest lands remained under dispute and were not certified.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although legal tenure security has been improved by forest titling, in practice, rights to harvest timber and other forest products were restricted by regulations that undermined tenure security. Again, the degree of restriction varies according to local context.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tenure insecurity also arose from the uncertainty of the duration of rights holding, as legal durations and local perceptions of duration diverged.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tenure security did not necessarily encourage investment in the management of forests; local context mattered more than tenure.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Central government needs to pa","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The global financial crisis has been exacerbated by a systemic debt crisis in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN) has a role in resolving the debt crisis. However, improving the capacity of indebted countries to cope with market swings and how to make markets a useful source of finance for long-term development remains a challenge looking for a solution. In addition to a larger GFSN, it is essential to develop rules that facilitate debt refinancing during outturns.
{"title":"What would it take for private capital to replace ODA?","authors":"Ishac Diwan","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70034","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The global financial crisis has been exacerbated by a systemic debt crisis in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN) has a role in resolving the debt crisis. However, improving the capacity of indebted countries to cope with market swings and how to make markets a useful source of finance for long-term development remains a challenge looking for a solution. In addition to a larger GFSN, it is essential to develop rules that facilitate debt refinancing during outturns.</p>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development has provided a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the international community to take stock of both progress in and challenges to financing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although the Addis Ababa Action Agenda has called for a transformative, comprehensive and holistic approach to implementing SDGs, the international development financing system are falling short of expectations. It is high time to reform the international development financing system to fit for purpose.
Purpose
The present paper aims to answer why it is important to foster structural transformation as a key engine for achieving SDGs, what limitations that the existing international development financing system suffer from, and how to rejuvenate the spirit of public entrepreneurship to promote structural transformation.
Approach and methods
First, it takes a historical approach to understand the imperative for achieving structural transformation. Second, it uses the case analysis of infrastructure financing to diagnose the limitations of the international development financing system. Third, it provides a framework for reforming the international development financing system.
Findings
Achieving structural transformation in a sustainable and inclusive manner is a powerful engine for both alleviating poverty and tackling global challenges. Yet, the international development financing system has failed to foster long-run structural transformation due to its inclination to search for ready-made solutions to complex structural challenges and its focus on short-term performance targets and deteriorating fragmentation.
Policy implications
At the strategy level, the international development cooperation system should rejuvenate the spirit of public entrepreneurship in pursuit of structural transformation in a sustainable, equitable and resilient manner. At the operational level, development cooperation agencies should go beyond the current ‘from billions to trillions’ agenda to advance transformational scaling. At the level of international rules, it should create enabling conditions for development finance providers to provide large-scale, long-term and high-risk capital while safeguarding financial soundness and stability.
{"title":"Navigating Development Cooperation for Structural Transformation","authors":"Jiajun Xu","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70027","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development has provided a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the international community to take stock of both progress in and challenges to financing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although the Addis Ababa Action Agenda has called for a transformative, comprehensive and holistic approach to implementing SDGs, the international development financing system are falling short of expectations. It is high time to reform the international development financing system to fit for purpose.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The present paper aims to answer why it is important to foster structural transformation as a key engine for achieving SDGs, what limitations that the existing international development financing system suffer from, and how to rejuvenate the spirit of public entrepreneurship to promote structural transformation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>First, it takes a historical approach to understand the imperative for achieving structural transformation. Second, it uses the case analysis of infrastructure financing to diagnose the limitations of the international development financing system. Third, it provides a framework for reforming the international development financing system.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Achieving structural transformation in a sustainable and inclusive manner is a powerful engine for both alleviating poverty and tackling global challenges. Yet, the international development financing system has failed to foster long-run structural transformation due to its inclination to search for ready-made solutions to complex structural challenges and its focus on short-term performance targets and deteriorating fragmentation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>At the strategy level, the international development cooperation system should rejuvenate the spirit of public entrepreneurship in pursuit of structural transformation in a sustainable, equitable and resilient manner. At the operational level, development cooperation agencies should go beyond the current ‘from billions to trillions’ agenda to advance transformational scaling. At the level of international rules, it should create enabling conditions for development finance providers to provide large-scale, long-term and high-risk capital while safeguarding financial soundness and stability.</p>\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dpr.70027","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is crucial to address climate change and achieving sustainable development, particularly for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Paris Agreement underscored the importance of involving LMICs in global greenhouse gas reduction efforts, thus amplifying the relevance of renewable energy development in these regions.
Purpose
This study evaluates the effectiveness of financial incentive policies in enhancing official development assistance for renewable energy development in LMICs. It also provides strategies for beneficiaries to select efficient financial incentive policies.
Methods and approach
The study uses panel regression analysis to assess the effectiveness of the financial incentive policies in the relationship between official development assistance for renewable energy development and renewable electricity generation. Using renewable electricity generation as the performance indicator, the article examines the effectiveness of individual financial incentive policies. The data span 2010 to 2019 for 79 LMICs, including the post-Paris agreement period.
Findings
The findings indicate that feed-in tariffs and loans positively moderate the relationship between official development assistance for renewable energy development and renewable electricity generation. Feed-in tariffs seem to have a long-term effect due to their policy design, and loans emerge as a significant moderator influenced by the technological maturation and transformative changes in international climate policy.
Policy Implications
The results suggest that official development assistance for renewable energy development beneficiaries should prioritize feed-in tariffs and loans. Feed-in tariffs offer consistent risk reduction and market access, while loans are most effective when institutional and technological conditions enable large-scale investment. Donors should promote feed-in tariffs for sustained stakeholder participation and loans for capital mobilization.
{"title":"Can we increase the effectiveness of ODA (official development assistance) for renewable energy development? An assessment of the relative performance of financial incentive policy measures","authors":"Gumin Jung, Shin Lee","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70026","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is crucial to address climate change and achieving sustainable development, particularly for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Paris Agreement underscored the importance of involving LMICs in global greenhouse gas reduction efforts, thus amplifying the relevance of renewable energy development in these regions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study evaluates the effectiveness of financial incentive policies in enhancing official development assistance for renewable energy development in LMICs. It also provides strategies for beneficiaries to select efficient financial incentive policies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods and approach</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study uses panel regression analysis to assess the effectiveness of the financial incentive policies in the relationship between official development assistance for renewable energy development and renewable electricity generation. Using renewable electricity generation as the performance indicator, the article examines the effectiveness of individual financial incentive policies. The data span 2010 to 2019 for 79 LMICs, including the post-Paris agreement period.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings indicate that feed-in tariffs and loans positively moderate the relationship between official development assistance for renewable energy development and renewable electricity generation. Feed-in tariffs seem to have a long-term effect due to their policy design, and loans emerge as a significant moderator influenced by the technological maturation and transformative changes in international climate policy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results suggest that official development assistance for renewable energy development beneficiaries should prioritize feed-in tariffs and loans. Feed-in tariffs offer consistent risk reduction and market access, while loans are most effective when institutional and technological conditions enable large-scale investment. Donors should promote feed-in tariffs for sustained stakeholder participation and loans for capital mobilization.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dpr.70026","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144758627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The concept of co-production has gained currency in development policy as an approach for collaboration and/or stakeholder participation to improve development outcomes. Co-production implies bringing together different knowledges to create something new, acknowledging that knowledge is both plural and partial; there are multiple ways of knowing and no one way represents truth. Yet existing literature on co-production tends to focus mostly on strategies for engagement rather than reckoning with structural forces and practical problems to realizing co-production.
Purpose
This article asks how the implementation of the co-production concept can account for relations of power. It develops a conceptual framework and practical guidance for co-producing knowledge for development.
Approach and Methods
The study provides an overview of the theory and practice of co-production and assesses its use in existing development policy. It draws on insights from political ecology literature to construct a conceptual framework and set of practical strategies for implementing co-production.
Findings
This article advances an approach to the co-production of knowledge that integrates political economy, reflexivity, and participatory methodologies to guide collaboration. This approach accounts for historical marginalization and unequal power relations to guide development interventions and/or policy.
Policy Implications
The article warns against uncritical adoption of co-production and highlights practical measures to examine power relations in order to understand challenges and enact equitable sustainable development in diverse settings.
{"title":"A critical approach to co-producing knowledge for development","authors":"Ryan Nehring, Fernando Galeana, Hilary Faxon","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The concept of co-production has gained currency in development policy as an approach for collaboration and/or stakeholder participation to improve development outcomes. Co-production implies bringing together different knowledges to create something new, acknowledging that knowledge is both plural and partial; there are multiple ways of knowing and no one way represents truth. Yet existing literature on co-production tends to focus mostly on strategies for engagement rather than reckoning with structural forces and practical problems to realizing co-production.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This article asks how the implementation of the co-production concept can account for relations of power. It develops a conceptual framework and practical guidance for co-producing knowledge for development.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study provides an overview of the theory and practice of co-production and assesses its use in existing development policy. It draws on insights from political ecology literature to construct a conceptual framework and set of practical strategies for implementing co-production.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This article advances an approach to the co-production of knowledge that integrates political economy, reflexivity, and participatory methodologies to guide collaboration. This approach accounts for historical marginalization and unequal power relations to guide development interventions and/or policy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The article warns against uncritical adoption of co-production and highlights practical measures to examine power relations in order to understand challenges and enact equitable sustainable development in diverse settings.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144647706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Janne Bemelmans, Charline Depoorter, Miet Maertens
Motivation
Despite the growing reliance on voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) to increase sustainability in food supply chains, their effectiveness in delivering benefits to smallholders varies across contexts. VSS are implemented through certification schemes which are operated by producers, cooperatives, or processing companies, and heterogeneity in these schemes influences outcomes, but to what degree and how remains poorly understood.
Purpose
We investigate how the implementation of Rainforest Alliance (RA) and Cocoa Life (CL) certification of cocoa producers in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, varies across four different multinational companies, three with RA certification and one with CL certification. We examine the effects of differential implementation of corporate certification schemes on cocoa production and returns to farmers.
Approach and methods
We use qualitative data from 46 key informant interviews and four focus group discussions with certified producers to describe differences in the implementation of VSS in four corporate certification schemes. We use quantitative survey data from 598 smallholder cocoa producers to estimate overall and scheme-specific effects of certification on cocoa production and producer returns. We deploy inverse probability weighted regression adjustments to correct for selection bias.
Findings
Service delivery related to the implementation of certification by the four companies varied considerably, especially in the payment of premiums, training, provision of material support, and access to company-associated collectors (not all certified beans were sold to company collectors). CL certification had no significant impact on production and returns; however, RA certification was associated with higher cocoa yield, price, income, and returns to land—although not evenly for the three corporate schemes that implement RA certification. The observed increases in yields and prices were achieved through different channels in different schemes. Price increases depended above all on the sale of certified beans to collectors associated with the company, rather than to independent traders.
Policy implications
Food processing and distribution companies which operate corporate-driven certification schemes are largely responsible for the effective implementation of VSS. Improving the transparency and accountability of companies in certifie
{"title":"Corporate implementation of certification and its impact on cocoa producers in Indonesia","authors":"Janne Bemelmans, Charline Depoorter, Miet Maertens","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite the growing reliance on voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) to increase sustainability in food supply chains, their effectiveness in delivering benefits to smallholders varies across contexts. VSS are implemented through certification schemes which are operated by producers, cooperatives, or processing companies, and heterogeneity in these schemes influences outcomes, but to what degree and how remains poorly understood.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We investigate how the implementation of Rainforest Alliance (RA) and Cocoa Life (CL) certification of cocoa producers in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, varies across four different multinational companies, three with RA certification and one with CL certification. We examine the effects of differential implementation of corporate certification schemes on cocoa production and returns to farmers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and <b>methods</b></h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We use qualitative data from 46 key informant interviews and four focus group discussions with certified producers to describe differences in the implementation of VSS in four corporate certification schemes. We use quantitative survey data from 598 smallholder cocoa producers to estimate overall and scheme-specific effects of certification on cocoa production and producer returns. We deploy inverse probability weighted regression adjustments to correct for selection bias.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Service delivery related to the implementation of certification by the four companies varied considerably, especially in the payment of premiums, training, provision of material support, and access to company-associated collectors (not all certified beans were sold to company collectors). CL certification had no significant impact on production and returns; however, RA certification was associated with higher cocoa yield, price, income, and returns to land—although not evenly for the three corporate schemes that implement RA certification. The observed increases in yields and prices were achieved through different channels in different schemes. Price increases depended above all on the sale of certified beans to collectors associated with the company, rather than to independent traders.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Food processing and distribution companies which operate corporate-driven certification schemes are largely responsible for the effective implementation of VSS. Improving the transparency and accountability of companies in certifie","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144647127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The onset of menstruation is an important physiological change that occurs in girls during adolescence. Ghana is making steady progress in improving girls' education by breaking down barriers, but a major issue to be addressed is lack of access to menstrual hygiene products. The situation is made worse by the imposition of a luxury tax on sanitary products. As part of a bursary programme offered by Ghana Education Service/UNICEF, 1,000 girls from northern Ghana regions received sanitary pad distribution support, aimed at keeping them in school until transition to senior high school (Grades 10, 11, and 12).
Purpose
The study examines the usefulness of sanitary pad distribution support in improving girls' education. The research questions are: what is the unmet need for sanitary pads among vulnerable adolescent girls in rural Ghana, what are the related coping mechanisms, and how useful is the distribution of sanitary pads for girls' education?
Approach and methods
The study adopted a phenomenological approach involving beneficiaries, their parents and District Girls' Education Officers. Data collection techniques were focus group discussions for beneficiaries, in-depth interviews for parents, and key informant interviews for officers.
Findings
The high cost of pads presents significant barriers for many schoolgirls from low-income families. A packet of eight to 12 pads costs, on average, GHS 25, which exceeds the daily minimum wage in Ghana of GHS 14.88. Due to this, girls turn to resource rationing strategies that can have a significant adverse effect on their education.
Policy implications
The removal of tax on local pads, while commendable, is undermined by the maintaining of taxes on the necessary imported raw materials. In Kenya, the removal of taxes was complemented by the introduction of subsidies and the free distribution of pads in schools. Alongside tax removal, Ghana could provide subsidies to local producers and introduce social distribution of sanitary pads in basic schools to create a ready market for local producers, intensify public education on menstrual hygiene to eradicate stigma while simultaneously supporting girls' education.
{"title":"“My daughter wore pads only during the day and used rags at night”: Sanitary pad accessibility and educational outcomes for girls in Ghana","authors":"Clement Adamba, Justina Addai","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The onset of menstruation is an important physiological change that occurs in girls during adolescence. Ghana is making steady progress in improving girls' education by breaking down barriers, but a major issue to be addressed is lack of access to menstrual hygiene products. The situation is made worse by the imposition of a luxury tax on sanitary products. As part of a bursary programme offered by Ghana Education Service/UNICEF, 1,000 girls from northern Ghana regions received sanitary pad distribution support, aimed at keeping them in school until transition to senior high school (Grades 10, 11, and 12).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study examines the usefulness of sanitary pad distribution support in improving girls' education. The research questions are: what is the unmet need for sanitary pads among vulnerable adolescent girls in rural Ghana, what are the related coping mechanisms, and how useful is the distribution of sanitary pads for girls' education?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study adopted a phenomenological approach involving beneficiaries, their parents and District Girls' Education Officers. Data collection techniques were focus group discussions for beneficiaries, in-depth interviews for parents, and key informant interviews for officers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The high cost of pads presents significant barriers for many schoolgirls from low-income families. A packet of eight to 12 pads costs, on average, GHS 25, which exceeds the daily minimum wage in Ghana of GHS 14.88. Due to this, girls turn to resource rationing strategies that can have a significant adverse effect on their education.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The removal of tax on local pads, while commendable, is undermined by the maintaining of taxes on the necessary imported raw materials. In Kenya, the removal of taxes was complemented by the introduction of subsidies and the free distribution of pads in schools. Alongside tax removal, Ghana could provide subsidies to local producers and introduce social distribution of sanitary pads in basic schools to create a ready market for local producers, intensify public education on menstrual hygiene to eradicate stigma while simultaneously supporting girls' education.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144615174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yemen's prolonged conflict has deeply eroded state institutions, exacerbated regional disparities, and intensified calls for political restructuring. As the country inches toward potential peace negotiations, identifying viable post-conflict governance models is critical. The urgency is compounded by competing visions from various political factions, regional actors, and civil society, making this an essential area of study for both national recovery and regional stability.
Purpose
This study investigates the potential of three governance frameworks—enhanced decentralization, federalism, and secession—as models for Yemen's post-conflict reconstruction. It aims to answer the following research questions: (1) What governance arrangements align best with Yemen's political, social, and economic context? (2) How can institutional legitimacy and local autonomy be balanced in a fragile, divided state? (3) What lessons can be drawn from other countries with similar experiences?
Approach and Methods
Using a qualitative, comparative methodology, this research analyzes academic literature, policy documents, and governance reports. It integrates historical, institutional, and political economic perspectives to assess the feasibility of each governance model. Case studies from Bolivia, Canada, Ethiopia, and Nigeria provide comparative insights to understand how decentralized or federal systems perform under conditions of fragility.
Findings
Decentralization emerges as a pragmatic but imperfect path forward, hindered by Yemen's history of centralization and weak local institutions. Federalism offers a more structured solution for regional inclusion but risks deepening divisions if poorly implemented. Secession, although politically attractive to some southern groups, presents high risks of economic disruption and international isolation.
Policy implications
Yemen's future governance must avoid one-size-fits-all models. A hybrid approach—balancing regional autonomy with national cohesion and institutional reform—is most promising. International actors should support this transition by promoting inclusive dialogue, strengthening local governance capacity, and ensuring equitable resource management to build sustainable peace.
{"title":"Navigating post-conflict governance in Yemen: Decentralization, federalism, and the path to stability","authors":"Moosa Elayah, Ahmed Almaweri, Bakeel Alzandani","doi":"10.1111/dpr.70024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Motivation</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Yemen's prolonged conflict has deeply eroded state institutions, exacerbated regional disparities, and intensified calls for political restructuring. As the country inches toward potential peace negotiations, identifying viable post-conflict governance models is critical. The urgency is compounded by competing visions from various political factions, regional actors, and civil society, making this an essential area of study for both national recovery and regional stability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigates the potential of three governance frameworks—enhanced decentralization, federalism, and secession—as models for Yemen's post-conflict reconstruction. It aims to answer the following research questions: (1) What governance arrangements align best with Yemen's political, social, and economic context? (2) How can institutional legitimacy and local autonomy be balanced in a fragile, divided state? (3) What lessons can be drawn from other countries with similar experiences?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Approach and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a qualitative, comparative methodology, this research analyzes academic literature, policy documents, and governance reports. It integrates historical, institutional, and political economic perspectives to assess the feasibility of each governance model. Case studies from Bolivia, Canada, Ethiopia, and Nigeria provide comparative insights to understand how decentralized or federal systems perform under conditions of fragility.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Decentralization emerges as a pragmatic but imperfect path forward, hindered by Yemen's history of centralization and weak local institutions. Federalism offers a more structured solution for regional inclusion but risks deepening divisions if poorly implemented. Secession, although politically attractive to some southern groups, presents high risks of economic disruption and international isolation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Yemen's future governance must avoid one-size-fits-all models. A hybrid approach—balancing regional autonomy with national cohesion and institutional reform—is most promising. International actors should support this transition by promoting inclusive dialogue, strengthening local governance capacity, and ensuring equitable resource management to build sustainable peace.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51478,"journal":{"name":"Development Policy Review","volume":"43 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/dpr.70024","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144615175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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