Systems Practice in International Development

• From Insights to Implementation: Applying Political Economy Analysis (PEA) for Real World Impact

  Welcome to Episode 7 of Systems Practice in International Development. Our guest is Pallavi Roy, Professor of Political Economy at SOAS University of London. In this episode, we have a frank conversation about Political Economy Analyses (PEAs) in the international development sector today. PEAs have come some way, but there’s still a long way to go – and we delve into the balance between what is good enough and how to effectively apply it. This episode’s guest: Pallavi Roy is a Professor of Political Economy at SOAS University of London. Her research is on the application of institutional economics and in particular the political settlements framework to governance, and the political economy of late development. She is Co-Director of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) £6 million Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) research partnership consortium working primarily in Bangladesh and Nigeria, in sectors like electricity, renewables, extractives, primary healthcare, and digital governance. She is also the Co-Principal Investigator on an FCDO-funded programme on generating evidence for fostering inclusive growth in Nepal. She has worked across developing countries and has extensive experience of working with funders and research organizations like the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, World Bank, UNESCAP, Agence Francaise de Developpement, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (Bangladesh) and is a visiting faculty member at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Laxenberg, Austria.  She is co-Chair of the Scaling-Up in Fragile States Working Group in the Scaling Up Community of Practice and has contributed to national media in the UK and internationally. She has also worked as a senior business journalist in India with publications like Financial Express and Businessworld from 1997 to 2007.  This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

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  36:23
• From Learning to Adaptation: Lessons Learned from Adaptive Programming and Use of Strategy Testing. A conversation with The Asia Foundation (Part 2)

  Welcome to Episode 6 of Systems Practice in International Development. This is episode 2 of a 2-part series with guests from The Asia Foundation, Nicola Nixon (Senior Director of Governance) and Gopa Kumar Thampi (Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka).  In this episode, we zoom into the practical experiences in adaptive programming. We discuss learning from failure to the type of teams required to deliver this work, use of evidence for decision making and adaptation, and addressing the most important currency in this type of work – trust.   This episode’s guestsNicola Nixon is the Senior Director of Governance at The Asia Foundation (TAF). She specialises in inclusive and participatory governance with over 25 years’ practical and research experience in Eastern Europe and South and Southeast Asia. She has worked with universities, private foundations, donor and UN agencies, and NGOs. She has published widely and has presented research to government, development and academic audiences in numerous international forums, often looking at the politics and practices of international development cooperation. In her current role, she supports TAF programs across the Asia Pacific in areas such as subnational governance, public-sector reform, knowledge-to-policy, civil society strengthening and law and justice.Gopa Kumar K Thampi is a Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka. Over his career, he has worked across 25 countries in Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Eastern Europe, collaborating with development partners, state institutions, public agencies, and CSOs to address governance reforms, public accountability, and capacity building. He played a key role in establishing the Global and South Asia hubs of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) based at BRAC University in Dhaka, where he managed both from 2009 to 2011. Currently, Gopa co-chairs the Steering Committee of the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), fostering collaboration between civil society and governments to address critical governance challenges. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Peace and Justice at BRAC University, and serves on the Advisory Board of ARUTHA, a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic research, public debt, and taxation. This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

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  25:55
• From Learning to Adaptation: Lessons Learned from Adaptive Programming and Use of Strategy Testing. A conversation with The Asia Foundation (Part 1)

  Welcome to Episode 5 of Systems Practice in International Development. This is episode 1 of a 2-part series with guests from The Asia Foundation, Nicola Nixon (Senior Director of Governance) and Gopa Kumar Thampi (Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka).We discuss the state of adaptive programming in our sector today, their newly launched strategy testing workbook, lessons learned from ten years of implementing adaptive programming across geographies and technical sectors, and we’re going to bust some myths about adaptive management towards the end.  This episode’s guestsNicola Nixon is the Senior Director of Governance at The Asia Foundation (TAF). She specialises in inclusive and participatory governance with over 25 years’ practical and research experience in Eastern Europe and South and Southeast Asia. She has worked with universities, private foundations, donor and UN agencies, and NGOs. She has published widely and has presented research to government, development and academic audiences in numerous international forums, often looking at the politics and practices of international development cooperation. In her current role, she supports TAF programs across the Asia Pacific in areas such as subnational governance, public-sector reform, knowledge-to-policy, civil society strengthening and law and justice. Gopa Kumar K Thampi is a Senior Governance Advisor at The Asia Foundation in Sri Lanka. Over his career, he has worked across 25 countries in Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Eastern Europe, collaborating with development partners, state institutions, public agencies, and CSOs to address governance reforms, public accountability, and capacity building. He played a key role in establishing the Global and South Asia hubs of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) based at BRAC University in Dhaka, where he managed both from 2009 to 2011. Currently, Gopa co-chairs the Steering Committee of the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA), fostering collaboration between civil society and governments to address critical governance challenges. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Peace and Justice at BRAC University, and serves on the Advisory Board of ARUTHA, a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic research, public debt, and taxation.  This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

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  39:05
• From Systems Thinking to Practice: How USAID is Embracing Humility and Relationships to Do Aid Differently (Part 2)

  Welcome to Episode 04 of Systems Practice in International Development. We are delighted to introduce this limited series produced by the Portfolio MEL (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. We hope you enjoyed the first part of our conversation with USAID colleagues on their recently launched Local Systems Position paper. If you haven’t listened to it already, it is available on Apple and Spotify.In part two of this series, we’ll dive deeper into the practical side of systems thinking—exploring how USAID missions bring the Local Systems Position Paper to life, tackle practical implementation challenges, and rethink the role of donors to truly embrace systems practice.This Episode's GuestsDavid Jacobstein has been with USAID for 12 years. He serves as a Political Economy and Localization Specialist in the Policy Learning and Integration Office of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Bureau, where he focuses on issues of capacity strengthening, systems thinking, political economy, locally-led development, and cross-sectoral integration. He leads work that has promulgated measurement and programming recommendations through the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy, and served as a co-author of the Local Systems Framework.Monalisa Salib is the Chief of Party of the USAID/Vietnam Learns Activity implemented by Social Impact. Her nearly 20 years of experience in international development includes long-term, field-based senior management and technical positions in Washington, D.C., Palestine, Yemen, and Vietnam. Monalisa was a co-creator of USAID’s Collaborating, Learning & Adapting (CLA) Framework and Maturity Tool and several other CLA resources on behalf of USAID.Rachel Leeds is a Strategy Analyst in USAID's Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management and a member of USAID's Local Systems Community of Practice. She led the consultation and drafting process for the Agency's new Local Systems Position Paper. She received her Bachelor's in Anthropology and Global Development Studies from the University of Virginia and her Master's of International Development Policy from Georgetown University.  This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

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  33:35
• From Systems Thinking to Practice: How USAID is Embracing Humility and Relationships to Do Aid Differently (Part 1)

  System work is not about solutions; it’s about discovering and steering local pathways for change at a pace appropriate for our ability to learn and for what local communities can enact and absorb.” - Stanford Social Innovation ReviewThis quote perfectly sets the tone for part one of our two-part series on USAID's Local Systems Position Paper. This paper isn’t just another framework—it’s a bold vision for reimagining development by prioritizing local actors within the system and locally-led solutions.In this episode, we’ll delve into the thinking behind the paper, explore its key ideas, and discuss how it fosters local ownership, trust, and sustainable systems. What inspired this shift, and what could it mean for the future of development? Let’s dive in!This Episode's GuestsDavid Jacobstein has been with USAID for 12 years. He serves as a Political Economy and Localization Specialist in the Policy Learning and Integration Office of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Bureau, where he focuses on issues of capacity strengthening, systems thinking, political economy, locally-led development, and cross-sectoral integration. He leads work that has promulgated measurement and programming recommendations through the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy, and served as a co-author of the Local Systems Framework.Monalisa Salib is the Chief of Party of the USAID/Vietnam Learns Activity implemented by Social Impact. Her nearly 20 years of experience in international development includes long-term, field-based senior management and technical positions in Washington, D.C., Palestine, Yemen, and Vietnam. Monalisa was a co-creator of USAID’s Collaborating, Learning & Adapting (CLA) Framework and Maturity Tool and several other CLA resources on behalf of USAID.Rachel Leeds is a Strategy Analyst in USAID's Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management and a member of USAID's Local Systems Community of Practice. She led the consultation and drafting process for the Agency's new Local Systems Position Paper. She received her Bachelor's in Anthropology and Global Development Studies from the University of Virginia and her Master's of International Development Policy from Georgetown University.  This podcast is produced and hosted by the Portfolio Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) programme in Nepal, funded by the British Embassy Kathmandu and implemented by Abt Global. Please note, the views expressed through this podcast reflect those of the hosts and guests only.

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  31:31

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