Signposts to More Effective States Responding to Governance Challenges in Developing Countries

This paper presents the main findings of a five-year research programme financed by the Department for International Development (DFID), and undertaken by the Centre for the Future State, based at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex. The overarching question addressed by the research is how public authority in developing countries can best be reshaped and reconstituted to meet the challenges of poverty reduction in the early decades of the twenty-first century.

The research conducted under the Development Research Centre for the Future State (DRC) offers a different way of thinking about governance. Unlike conventional approaches that start with the symptoms of bad governance and look for solutions, the DRC research is concerned with the underlying causes. It starts with a proposition – well known to political scientists but less familiar to many policymakers – that the critical issue in state building lies in striking a balance between effectiveness and accountability. 

Institute of Development Studies (IDS) 2005

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is a leading global charity for international development research, teaching and communications. Founded in 1966, IDS enjoys an international reputation based on the quality of their work and commitment to applying academic skills to real-world challenges.