Global Development Network

Global Development Network
Name	Global Development Network
Formation	1999
Type	International organization
Headquarters	New Delhi
Region served	Worldwide
Leader title	Director

Global Development Network The Global Development Network is an international research network that supports social science research in developing and transition countries. It connects researchers, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and African Development Bank stakeholders to promote evidence-based policy and capacity building in regions such as South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and East Asia and the Pacific. The organization collaborates with institutions like London School of Economics, Harvard University, University of Oxford, Columbia University, and Yale University to strengthen research ecosystems.

History

Founded in 1999, the organization emerged amid global shifts following the Washington Consensus and debates around the Bretton Woods Conference legacy. Early backers included the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and foundations such as the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York. During its formative years it engaged with networks linked to the International Food Policy Research Institute, Institute of Development Studies, Overseas Development Institute, Centre for Economic Policy Research, and regional bodies like the African Economic Research Consortium. Key historical interactions involved collaborations with governments influenced by policies from Indian Economic Reforms of 1991, Chinese economic reform, and post-communist transitions exemplified by the Velvet Revolution and Fall of the Berlin Wall. The network expanded through partnerships with universities including Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Cape Town, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of São Paulo, and Australian National University.

Mission and Objectives

The mission emphasizes strengthening research capacity in low- and middle-income countries to inform policy debates at forums such as the G20 Summit, UN General Assembly, World Economic Forum, COP26, and Millennium Development Goals follow-up processes like the Sustainable Development Goals. Objectives include promoting rigorous methodologies associated with institutions such as the Econometric Society, Royal Economic Society, American Economic Association, and International Sociological Association; facilitating knowledge exchange across networks including the Global South, Commonwealth of Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Organization of American States; and mobilizing resources through channels linked to the European Commission, United States Agency for International Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Department for International Development.

Governance and Organization

Governance structures mirror practices found in multilateral entities like the World Bank Group and the United Nations Economic and Social Council. A board composed of representatives from academic centers such as Sciences Po, Peking University, University of Nairobi, University of Ghana, and Istanbul Bilgi University guides strategy. Executive leadership liaises with advisory panels containing members from the International Labour Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Centre for Migration Policy Development, and civil society organizations including Oxfam and Save the Children. Regional nodes coordinate with national research organizations like the National Bureau of Economic Research, Brazilian Development Bank, National Council of Applied Economic Research, and the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis.

Programs and Activities

Programming includes grant competitions, capacity-building workshops, and knowledge dissemination through platforms akin to JSTOR, SSRN, RePEc, IDEAS, and Open Access initiatives. Activities partner with think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, Centre for Global Development, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Foundation-style regional research centers. Training modules draw on curricula from University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, and professional associations like the American Political Science Association and Royal Geographical Society. The network organizes conferences comparable to sessions at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Bonn Climate Change Conference, Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, and regional workshops aligned with the African Union.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams have included multilateral donors such as the European Investment Bank and bilateral partners including Government of Japan, Government of Sweden, Government of Canada, and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Philanthropic partners mirror relations with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Children's Investment Fund Foundation. Corporate engagement involves collaborations with entities like Microsoft Research, Google.org, and analytics firms similar to McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group for methodological support. Partnerships extend to academic consortia such as the Global Research Council, Association of Commonwealth Universities, and regional funding agencies like the African Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

Impact and Evaluations

Evaluations have compared the network's outcomes to indicators used by World Development Report studies and assessments by organizations such as the Independent Evaluation Group and OECD. Impact areas include enhanced policy-relevant research produced in collaboration with universities like University of the Philippines, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Makerere University, University of Ghana Legon, and Lomonosov Moscow State University, citation patterns tracked in databases like Scopus and Web of Science, and capacity gains measured through programs similar to those by the International Development Research Centre and German Development Institute. External reviews have involved panels with members from Royal Society, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and regional research bodies, assessing influence on policy debates at venues such as the UN Commission on Population and Development and the Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting.

Category:International research networks