Oxford Policy Management

How can we protect early childhood development programmes when global aid is no longer guaranteed? As international development funding becomes more uncertain, early childhood development (ECD) efforts in low- and middle-income countries are increasingly at risk. In this new blog, we explore how funders, governments and practitioners can sustain progress in early learning — drawing on insights from leading voices in the field: 👤 Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh – Former Deputy Director-General, Ghana Education Service 👤 Professor Sally Brinkman – Professor of Education Futures, University of South Australia 👤 Dr Manzoor Ahmed – Chairperson, Bangladesh Early Childhood Development Network 📄 Read the full blog below 📺 Watch the full webinar – link in the comments The blog reflects on national responses from Bangladesh, Ghana and Kiribati, highlighting how local ownership, system strengthening and targeted advocacy are shaping efforts to sustain early learning.

✂️UK aid cuts & tough choices  With a shrinking aid budget, the UK government faces a huge challenge: How to do more with less, and make a real, lasting impact. We're seeing a shift towards immediate humanitarian aid, but is that the only answer? 🤔 What about investing in longer-term solutions? … like a deep dive into a country, looking at the root causes of problems, not just the symptoms. Like preventative medicine for development. 🩺 Why is such an approach important? ➡️Context Matters: No one-size-fits-all solution works. We need to understand the unique challenges each country faces. ➡️Understanding Change: It's about figuring out what drives (or blocks) progress. ➡️Long-Term Impact: By addressing root causes, we can build resilience and reduce the need for constant crisis response.  Yes, it's a long-term game. Yes, it requires some investment, but in his insightful new blog, our Principal Economist, Umar Salam, makes the case for development diagnostics as a cost-effective and ultimately, hugely impactful approach to development. Drawing on the example of Bangladesh, where poverty reduction and social change appears to go hand-in-hand with inequality and exclusion, Umar highlights how, in a world of increasing vulnerability to shocks, diagnostics can pave the way to a more stable, resilient future. What do you think? Can aid be done differently? What are the best long-term solutions? Let's discuss! 👇

As part of our ‘Introducing’ series we’d like to shine the spotlight on Tom Wagstaff, our principal consultant for data science. A former DFID economist, Tom has spent the last ten years as a data scientist, alternating between the tech and social impact sectors, before finally returning to international development with OPM in 2023. Tom says, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘐 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 2025 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥". Tom leads on our natural language processing (NLP) work, including: a review of the applications of large language models (LLMs) to rigorous evaluations for Shared Services Canada; an AI-generated synthesis report on national development strategies for British International Investment, and development of AMPERA - our own AI-powered text classifier which has streamlined a number of public expenditure reviews in Pakistan.

How are women affected by climate change—and how can gender perspectives be integrated into solutions? At a recent event hosted by the British Embassy in Jakarta, our Indonesia Country Director, Dwi Rahardiani, shared powerful insights on the gendered impacts of climate change, and the crucial role of women in climate leadership and policy. 🎥 Hear directly from Dwi in the clip below: • How are women disproportionately affected by climate change? 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 – 𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 – 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. • How can gender perspectives be successfully integrated into climate policies? 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 (𝘓𝘊𝘋𝘐), 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯, 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘎𝘌𝘋𝘚𝘐) 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘢 (𝘙𝘗𝘑𝘔𝘕), 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘌𝘋𝘚𝘐 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣-𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. https://lnkd.in/eMwPCwGN Discover more on the LCDI project using the link in the comments.

If scaling Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and policies interests you, read on! Our Early Childhood Development programme, Thrive Child Evidence, is hosting a scientific conference along with the Institute For Fiscal Studies focusing on low-and middle-income countries. 📍Location: London 🗓️ Date: 24-25 June The conference focuses on: • What works – Innovative ECD approaches with potential for scale • Implementation at scale – Transitioning to large-scale interventions • Equity and inclusion – how to make sure scaling is equitable and inclusive • Measurement and assessment at scale This two-day event feature some of the most distinguished speakers in the sector including: 🎙️Amanda D., Global Co-Lead for Early Childhood Development, Education, The World Bank 🎙️ John List, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago 🎙️Joan Lombardi, Adjunct Professor and Senior Advisor, Stanford Center on Early Childhood 🎙️ Joseph Agbenyega, Associate Professor in the Counselling, Special Education and Neuroscience Division at Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE) 🎙️Lia Haskin Fernald, Professor of Community Health Sciences, Brian and Jennifer Maxwell Endowed Chair in Public Health, University of California, Berkeley 🎙️Florencia Lopez Boo Lopez–Boo, Professor of Economics and Applied Psychology and Director of Global TIES, NYU 🎙️Mushfiq Mobarak, Professor of Economics, Yale University 🎙️Mark Tomlinson Professor, Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University Register your interest here: https://bit.ly/3GbhAib Please write to thriveconference@opml.co.uk for any clarifications.

We're proud to see our colleague Michael Adenew, Ethiopian Country Director, take the stage today at the 8th African Leaders Forum—championing the transformative work our team is driving across the region.

How can projects truly drive change? By acting as a springboard for innovation. Hear Jo Moir, Development Director at the British High Commission in Islamabad, share insights on how research by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's DARE-RC is uncovering lessons from Pakistan's education innovations, offering insights for educational programmes worldwide. Watch the video below: Salim S.

The Low Carbon Development Initiative: Integrating Indonesia's climate sgenda with development planning   Indonesia stands at a critical crossroads in its sustainable development journey. The Emission Index ranks Indonesia as the world's 7th highest greenhouse gas emitter, yet 112th in per capita emissions as the fourth most populous nation—highlighting its unique climate challenge.   Despite recent shifts in the global climate finance landscape, Indonesia remains steadfast in its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 while pursuing economic growth.   The Low Carbon Development Initiative (LCDI) provides crucial support by embedding climate considerations into national planning, budgeting, and governance systems across multiple levels of government. Working with both national ministries and sub-national governments, the LCDI helps Indonesia navigate the complex interplay between development priorities and climate action, creating pathways to a more resilient and sustainable future regardless of external circumstances.   In this clip from a recent British Embassy event in Jakarta, our Country Director Dwi Rahardiani shares her perspective on one of the fundamental challenges the LCDI is addressing: https://lnkd.in/d3pYkC4S

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀? We need systems that are inclusive, dignified, and responsive. Recently, we partnered with FCDO, UNICEF, the Cash Working Group, and other key stakeholders to address this critical question. We hosted a validation workshop, bringing together a diverse group to refine practical, evidence-based approaches. This workshop culminated a year of dedicated support to the Evidence Consortium on Women’s Groups (ECWG) and UNICEF, with a focus on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). Key Workshop Highlights: 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: We reviewed and validated findings from FCDO's STAAR consortium-funded research, led by Lili Mohiddin, Bisrat Bezuneh, Meghan Taylor, and Laura Phelps, focusing on conflict-sensitive social protection strategies. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲: We facilitated in-depth discussions amongst federal ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, development partners like UNICEF and the The World Bank, funders (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), international and local NGOs, and civil society organisations. 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: We worked towards a shared understanding of how to fortify social protection systems, ensuring they safeguard communities before, during, and after crises. This initiative builds upon years of collaborative efforts, including our technical support to the FCDO-funded Shock Responsive Safety Net component of the Building Resilience in Ethiopia (BRE) programme. This groundwork has been crucial in establishing scalable, shock-responsive systems. We are incredibly encouraged by the positive feedback and the collective commitment to translate evidence into tangible systems that prioritise people. Special thanks to Harri Lee for delivering thoughtful remarks, and to Erëblina Elezaj, Alembirhan Woldegerima, Daniel Kumitz, Christabel E. Dadzie, and Feleke Jember for an insightful and forward-thinking panel discussion.   We’re also deeply grateful to all participants whose reflections and expertise enriched the dialogue. Your contributions are essential to shaping social protection systems that are truly responsive, equitable, and grounded in local realities.  See the highlights in our video below:

𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼-𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 Our collaboration with international partners, local CSOs, and Ethiopian health officials is opening up new avenues for all children to receive vaccinations. Reaching zero-dose and partially immunised children in marginalised communities is one of Ethiopia's most urgent public health challenges, and a new consortium has started a ground-breaking immunisation program in Addis Ababa to address this issue. 𝗔 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Ethiopia's Ministry of Health and several national Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are among the strong coalition of international and local partners that the initiative brings together. The success of the project depends on the vital local expertise and community ties that these CSOs provide. 𝟴𝟬 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 Identifying children who have received no vaccinations, creating demand for vaccines, bolstering health data systems, assisting with vaccine logistics, and improving coordination of health services are the main focus areas of the initiative.   At OPM, we're extending this approach beyond Ethiopia's borders, with similar programs in Pakistan and plans for Nigeria.   "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳," states Michael Adenew, our Country Director in Ethiopia. Partners: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia, MannionDaniels, EOC DICAC Ethiopian Orthodox Church - Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission, OSSHD(Organization for Social Services, Health and Development), Oromia Development Partnership for Pastoralists Development Association.