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.
Podcast: Subsidies and Social Protection - Reforms for a Sustainable Transition
Why are subsidies so difficult to reform, even when more effective alternatives exist? In this podcast by Socialprotection.org, TPP Director Neil McCulloch examines the political, institutional and economic challenges that have made subsidy reform one of the most complex issues in social policy.
Governing climate action? Governance, political economy and systems change in country platforms
Climate Country Platforms promise to bring finance and policy together around national climate goals. But in this paper, Brendan Halloran argues they'll only deliver if they confront the political economy, power and governance barriers that keep holding climate action back — and he sets out how, with practical steps for governments, banks and funders.
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.