Applying a Political Economy Perspective to Development
We are a network of experienced development professionals who all take a political economy perspective to development. Our Directors, Principals and Associates have specialist knowledge of particular countries and sectors. They have strong connections to government, the private sector, civil society, media and research organisations. They bring to bear their own long working experience within official agencies, academia and the private sector.
The Policy Practice applies a political economy approach to supporting positive change in developing countries. We undertake strategic and policy work in developing countries, including political economy analysis, programme designs, reviews, and evaluations. We also run a flagship training course on political economy analysis and provide bespoke training for a wide variety of clients.
Why energy security starts in the kitchen
With global energy markets reeling from geopolitical chaos, Indonesia’s USD 4.7 billion liquid petroleum gas subsidy is no longer just a fiscal burden but a severe economic vulnerability. In this blog (which was published as an Op-Ed for Jakarta Post), TPP Director Neil McCulloch argues that the government must finally grasp the nettle of subsidy reform.
The Political Economy of Gender and Energy
As part of the webinar series looking at different aspects of the energy transition from a political economy perspective, the ENERGIA international network on gender and sustainable energy hosted the third webinar on development partners' changed political priorities regarding gender and social inclusion (GESI) and the strategies that practitioners have used to embed GESI within national energy institutions.
The Political Economy of Carbon Pricing
As part of the webinar series looking at different aspects of the energy transition from a political economy perspective, the International Institute for Sustainable Development hosted the second webinar looking at why carbon pricing remains so politically difficult and what kinds of strategies have been most effective in different contexts.
The Political Economy of Country Platforms
The Policy Practice, in partnership with the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice, ODI Global, the International Institute for Sustainable Development and ENERGIA, the international network on gender and sustainable energy, organised a webinar series looking at different aspects of the energy transition from a political economy perspective.
The first webinar, on the Political Economy of Country Platforms, was was held on 15 January and hosted by ODI Global. This blog by Tim Kelsall, ODI Senior Research Fellow, summarises the key messages from the fishbowl discussion.
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. It shows reforms only endure when domestic reformers lead, urging partners to drop “performance theatre” and back genuine, locally led, politically grounded change.
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.
A new narrative for climate action in a radically changed world - Part 2
In Part 2 of TPP Director Neil McCulloch’s blog, he considers what a new narrative for climate action must look like to be politically successful.
TPP Director Neil McCulloch and Tim Kelsall (ODI) with TPP Principal Samantha Wade are delivering a six-session online pokitical economy analysis workshop to staff from the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
The Policy Practice delivered an online political economy analysis training for UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff working towards accreditation in the Climate and Nature Diplomacy competency cluster.
Laure-Hélène Piron, TPP Director, is leading a facilitated political economy analysis examining the extent of decentralisation in Chad, including in the provinces of Batha, Mandoul and Moyen-Chari. The study will inform the development of the Swiss cooperation country programme for Chad and the design of a new decentralisation programme.
From January to March 2026, TPP director Neil McCulloch coordinated three webinars looking at the political economy of the energy transition with support from the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice looking at challenges associated with (1) designing and implementing effective country platforms (co-hosted by ODI Global), (2) carbon pricing (co-hosted with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and (3) gender and social inclusion (co-hosted by ENERGIA).
Led by TPP Principal Ben French, this project supports the British High Commission in Pakistan to embed politically informed, adaptive approaches across policy and programming. Working with the growth, climate and human capital teams, it strengthens strategic thinking, portfolio coherence and learning to improve the UK’s development impact.
TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron is serving as a political economy adviser to a public financial management reform programme for the government of Senegal.
The Kenya Tax Administration project strengthens tax administration reform through digital transformation and organisational change. TPP Principal Olly Owen leads ongoing political economy analysis, analysing political dynamics and stakeholder incentives to guide adaptive delivery, risk management, and strategic engagement across workstreams.
TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron and TPP Principal Wilfred Mwamba are helping the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office organise an informal dialogue to re-imagine a less donor-centric governance sector. Wilfred is preparing a provocative think piece from a Global South perspective while Laure-Hélène will facilitate the 1.5 day event.
TPP Principal Samantha Wade and TPP Director Neil McCulloch are working with the Ocean Energy Pathway to support two of its country teams — in the Philippines and Brazil — with a strategy refresh grounded in political economy analysis.
The Policy Practice is a lead provider of training on applied political economy analysis for development practitioners.
Political economy analysis provides a deeper understanding of the contexts in which development happens – whether international, national, sectoral or local. It explores how structural factors, institutions and incentives of the key actors shape the possibilities for change in any given context – and how development partners can influence this.
Our course is designed to equip advisers and programme managers to identify the main political and institutional challenges and opportunities in the contexts in which they work, and to draw well-grounded conclusions for strategy, programme design and approaches to implementation.
We have run our flagship course for development professionals over 45 times since 2008, training over 2,000 professionals. We also offer tailored courses and bespoke advice to organisations that wish to deepen their capacity to undertake political economy analysis or manage their programmes more adaptively. Course participants come from bilateral and multilateral organisations, such as the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the US Agency for International Development, the Netherlands Foreign Ministry, Irish Aid, the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission, or the United Nations Development Programme. Our clients also include research centres, non-governmental organisations and private companies, such as the The Elders, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, Save The Children, Saferworld, DAI, Palladium or Chemonics.
We are also running our online course on the Political Economy for Climate Action over a six week period in May and June 2026.
Political economy analysis in action online training course
We will be running the next Political Economy Analysis in Action online training course in September 2026. If you would like further information on this course, please see our flyer here.
Participants on this interactive 14-week online course:
- Learn what political economy analysis is and why it matters
- Explore political economy concepts and how to use them
- Interact with leading experts on political economy analysis and thinking and working politically on a weekly basis
- Work through real-life case studies applying political economy tools to development challenges
- Participate in regular webinars with other course participants
- Learn how to ‘think and work politically’ in their own work
- Participants work both independently and in small groups to complete weekly tasks
We will be running our popular online course on Political Economy Analysis for Climate Action later in 2026. You can register your interest here.