Overseas Development Institute
From Wikiprogress.org
Contents |
About
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) is Britain's leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. Our mission is to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing countries.
ODI works across a range of different international development and humanitarian themes in countries across the globe. To find out more about the themes, programmes and regions of our work, visit the ODI website here.
ODI’s role as a Wikiprogress Correspondent
As a Wikiprogress correspondent ODI will highlight work investigating stories of progress in international development.
Progress in Development: A Library of Stories
Despite global and domestic challenges such as the food crisis, the threat of climate change, as well as barriers to accessing health, education and employment opportunities, significant and inspiring development progress has been accomplished all over the world. Founded on this belief, ODI established Progress in Development: A Library of Stories, a project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which aimed to highlight stories of progress and challenge the tale of pessimism and negativity that too often characterises narratives and perceptions of development. Watch this great video for an overview of the project:
The stories were selected from among low and middle-income countries using the following criteria: scale; sustainability; equity; regional variation; and an element of surprise – countries that have not achieved widespread recognition or achieved progress ‘against the odds’. Case studies can be viewed and downloaded from the following country pages: El Salvador; Costa Rica; Brazil; Egypt; Burkino Faso; Benin; Ghana, Ethiopia; Eritrea; Somaliland; Uganda; Rwanda; Malawi; Namibia; South Africa; Mauritius; India, Bangladesh, Bhutan; Thailand; Lao PDR; Cambodia; Vietnam; Indonesia.
The first phase of Development Progress has now been completed. Over the next four years through partnership, convening and public engagement, Development Progress will become a hub for contemporary debates in development. Our aim is to generate evidence and analysis to further understand:
- the social, political and economic environments that facilitate progress
- innovative methodologies for the measurement of progress
- how domestic and foreign resources contribute to the financing of progress
- how to better incorporate poor people's perspectives on progress into development funding decisions
- the role of global institutions and trade in facilitating progress
ODI Global Report: Mapping Progress
As part of this project, ODI published a global report mapping development progress. The report summarises evidence of progress and how it was achieved in 24 developing countries. The project recognises there is not one path to progress, but progress comes in many different shapes and from; progress is diverse. In addition to the global report, ODI published 24 case studies spread across eight different sectors highlighting many different dimensions of well being including: economic conditions; health; water, sanitation and hygiene; education; governance; environmental conditions; agriculture and rural development; and, social protection.
ODI Resources and Event
ODI resources capture the latest critical thinking on development issues. Our series range from blogs and short ODI Opinions papers by our experts on cutting-edge topics, to Working Papers on preliminary research results, and Briefing Papers that provide concise, policy-relevant research analysis. ODI also produces two international peer-reviewed journals: Development Policy Review and Disasters, and is starting to develop a range of video blogs and podcasts for online viewing and listening. To browse and download ODI resources, visit the website here.
ODI hosts a large number of public meetings, workshops and seminars in London every year, including meetings with the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development (APGOOD), and other relevant Parliamentary All-party groups. These attract expert speakers from around the world.
ODI also holds regular event series, taking an in-depth look at key development issues, and participates in major international conferences and other events on issues relating to our themes of work.
To view current and forthcoming events, visit the ODI website here.
See also
Community Portal In the Spotlight: ODI Mapping Progress - evidence for a new development outlook
References
External links
ODI website
Mapping Progress Global Report website
Mapping Progress Global Report
