Highlights & New Initiatives
GDN-JapanTokyo

GDN - JAPAN 20081

Overview¾ Introductiono Mission, History, Structure¾ Activitieso Core activities
o Emerging activities¾ 2007 Independent Evaluation¾ Issues for Discussion

GDN - JAPAN 20082

Introduction - Mission¾ Mission Statement:
A worldwide association of research and policy
institutes, promotes the generation, sharing andapplication to policy of multidisciplinary knowledge
for the purpose of development
Better research, better policy, better ‘developing’ world

GDN - JAPAN 20083

Introduction – History

December

Launch1999December
March

18 Member Board of Directors

2000

Independent , not-for-profit
Organization

2001May2005

FebruaryMay

Relocation to New Delhi

2008

New Legal Status

2008

GDN - JAPAN 2008

HQ Agreement

4Introduction - Structure¾8 ‘Southern’ & 3 ‘Northern’ Partners¾3 offices

EUDN

BREAD
North America
GDN
Washington

Belgium

CERGE-EI Kiev
Prague

ERF

Cairo
GDN
Cairo

LACEA
Bogotá

EERC

SANEI

Islamabad

GDN-JAPANTokyo

GDN (HQ)
New Delhi EADN
Bangkok

AERC

NairobiODN
Apia

GDN - JAPAN 2008

5Core Activities
RegionalRegional Research
Research
Competitions
Competitions
GDNet
GDNetGDN’s
GDN’s internet-based
internet-based
resource
resource managed
managed inin Cairo
Cairo
isis rapidly
rapidly emerging
emerging asas thethe
primary
depositoryofprimary depository of
research
research output
output fromfrom thethe
developingworld
developing world

PromotePromote high-quality
high-quality
researchinresearch in developing
developing &&transitiontransition countries
countries throughthrough
GDN’s
GDN’s regional
regional network
network
partners
partners

GlobalGlobal Research
ResearchProjects
Projects
Major
Major projects
projects involving
involving
research
teams
worldwide,
research teams worldwide,address
address thethe most
most pressing
pressing
issuesissues ofof development
development

GDN
GlobalGlobal Development
Development
Conferences
Conferences
ProvideProvide promisingpromising researchers
researchers
fromfrom developing
developing countries
countries aa
platform
platform toto showcase
showcase their
their
research
research at
at an
an international
international forum
forum

Emerging Activities¾ Other Strategic Research¾ Policy OutreachTraining

GlobalGlobal Development
Development
AwardsAwards && Medals
MedalsCompetition
Competition
TheThe largest
largest annual
annual international
international
competitioncompetition forfor development
development
researchresearch¾3ie

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6Core Activity 1: Regional Research Competitions (RRCs)¾¾¾Total Funding since 1999: US$ 22.3 M
Total grants: 900 approx.
Conducted through Regional Network Partners

RRC Funding Across the Regions

East Asia
11%

Oceania1%

Sub-SaharanAfrica
17%South Asia
17%

Latin America &Caribbean
13%

Eastern &Central Europe
14%

Middle East &North Africa
15%

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CIS
12%

7

Core Activity 2: Global Research Projects (GRPs)¾¾¾¾Total Funding since 2001: US$ 14.4 M
Total researchers funded since 1999: 265
Output: 9 volumes published; >200 country studies; 40 thematicpapers; 25 other studies
Major topics : Growth; Reform; BR&P; Poverty; Migration; HealthParticipation in GRPs

East Asia
11%Oceania
3%

Sub-SaharanAfrica19%

South Asia
10%
Eastern & Centra
Europe15%
Latin America &Caribbean
17%

Middle East &North Africa
14%

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CIS
11%

8

Core Activity 3a: Global Development Awards & Medals
Competition•The Global Development Awards and Medals
competition was inspired by Mr. Kiichi Miyazawa,then Japan’s Minister of Finance•The competition recognizes both outstanding researchand innovative development projects•Initial grant - $500,000•

Ministry of Finance continues to support this activity

GDN - JAPAN 2008

9Core Activity 3b: Global Development Awards & Medals
Competition¾¾¾¾

Applicants: 4,600; >95 countries$250,000 in prizes every year
626 submissions in 2007
Significant increase in participation from developing country
NGOs
Regio nal Distribution of 2007 Awards & M edals Competition
Sub-Saharan Af rica
32%
Sout h Asia
29%
East Asia
12%

Oceania2%
M iddle East &Nort h Af rica
4%

Lat inAmerica/ Caribbean
12%

East & Cent ral
Europe3%

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CIS6%

10

Core Activity 4: GDNet – Sharing Knowledge Globally¾

Access to Online Services
o Online Portfolio: MUSE, BLDS, WDI & Funding Opportunities
o 7,000 researchers; 100 new registrations/ montho Jstor - Arts & Science and Business Collections

Web Usage Average / MonthHits¾

Communicating Southern Research

Visitors

o 3,700 organization profiles; 14,000 full-text documents
o 500,000 hits from 30,000 unique visitors/monthJuly - Dec 07
Visitso Electronic and print newsletters¾Jan - Jun 07

Website Revampo Multilingual, Southern Knowledge Sharing Portal & Social Networking

Services

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11Core Activity 5: Global Development Conferences
Purpose: Exchanging ideas, presenting research, face-to-facenetworking¾ 9 organized between 1999 – 2008
¾ Over 4,450 total participants from 100 countries¾ On average 524 participants attend the conference each year
¾Previous Conference Themes‘Security and Development: Confronting threats to Survival andSafety’‘Shaping a New Global Reality: The Rise of Asia and its Implications’‘Institutions and Development: At the Nexus of Global Change’'Developing and Developed Worlds: Mutual Impact'‘Understanding Reform’

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Upcoming: Tenth Annual Global Development Conference

Natural Resources andDevelopment

Kuwait City, KuwaitFebruary 2009
Partner¾ Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development

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Strategic Review – Board Recommendations & New Directions
The 2008 Board Meeting endorsed GDN’s efforts to building worldclass excellence in policy relevant research in developing countries
and suggested new strategies should focus on:¾Shaping Policy Debateso 3 collaborative workshops on BR&P in Buenos Aires, Dar and Dubai
focused on mainstreaming policy links in GDN’s activities. Three mainactivities were identifiedoSupport Global / Regional Policy Forums that bring policymakers and research leaders together on agreed priority
policy issues
oAnnual GDN Prize for the most effective communications
and dissemination by a think tank with policy makers in theGDN network
oPolicy Advisors to advise GDN board on strategic activities

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Strategic Review – Board Recommendations & New Directions¾ Regional Partnerships
o Strengthen GDN as a ‘Network of Networks’ Inter-Regional Research Projects (IRRPs)
 Jointly shape global debates on selected themes Joint fundraising between GDN and RNPs

¾ Global Issueso Undertaking GRPs selectively on Global Public Goods /Global Policy issues¾ Outreach & Communicationso Dissemination in other major languageso Staying away from ‘advocacy’

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Other Strategic Research•Moving Out of Poverty
Developing and disseminating a standardized module on local
power and institutional relations in understanding economic andsocial mobility•Governance & Transparency FundAddress the “demand side” of good governance by supporting
20 Think Tanks in Low and Middle Income countries to analyze
public expenditures•International Growth Center
A central networking hub of partner organisations,researchers and practitioners, to be managed by an international
consortium of globally-reputed research and policy organisations.
GDN identified as a partner•Institutional Capacity Building
New UNDP-funded project, jointly with AERC, on strengthening
institutional capacity building of public policy institutes in Africa
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Policy Outreach & Training
Policy Outreach¾Knowledge Management Activities¾BRPo Africa, South Asia & Latin America Programso Knowledge Management, Research Communications and Policy Impact Latin
America Workshop, February 2008, Argentina
o Developing Technology & Innovation in Africa: Focus on Agriculture & FoodIndustry, May 2008, Tanzania
o Key activities identified by the BRP project to mainstream policy links toGDN’s core activities and to promote informed policy debates will beinitiated as part of GDN’s new core activity – “Policy Outreach”

Training¾Regional Training Programo 3 regional training pilots on quantitative research techniques; designed toequip researchers with new and updated research methodologies.
o Full launch in early 2009

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3ie• An independent non-profit institution which aims
to improve the measurement of the net effects ofsocial and economic development programs inlow- and middle-income countries throughrigorous impact evaluations• GDN will host 3ie and provide the intellectual,administrative, financial and management
support functions

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New Activities¾ New Global Research Projects (GRPs)o Governance: Alternative Institutional Approaches toEnsuring Effective Governance for Growth, Poverty
Reduction and the Delivery of Public Services
o Climate Change Adaptation: to promote inclusive
development strategies¾ Proposals for future GRPso Private Sector Development (PSD) in fast-growingeconomies
o Urban Challenges in Developing Countries (large cities)

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2007 Independent Evaluation¾ Overall Findings

o Generally positiveo Evidence of capacity building and knowledge creation from GDN-funded
activities¾ Perception of GDN
ooooProvides mostly unique, relevant and valuable services
Grantee average satisfaction level rated ‘high’
55% respondents gave 2 highest points on 5-point Likert scale
64% respondents gave same rating in case of funding / mentoring
received from GDN
o GDN building base of policy-relevant literatureo GDN building capacity of future research leaders informing better policy
at both national and sub-national levels¾ Awards & Medalso Respondents value the awards and medals higher than GRP or RRC
grantees in terms of increased career advancement and networking
opportunities
o AMC more successful in bringing GDN’s appeal to a broader clientele
than just economistsGDN - JAPAN 200820

2007 Independent Evaluation¾4 Key Action Items post-Evaluation¾Other Priority Areaso Continue to build research capacity in the developing world
o Widen multi-disciplinary base with Economics as the “defaultdiscipline”
o Strengthen RNP Relationshipso Enhance Policy Outreacho Resource Mobilizationo Outreach and Communication

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Issues for Discussion¾ Comments on GDN’so Strategyo Research Agenda
o Policy Outreacho Awards and Medals Competition¾ Other Suggestions?

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