DFID - Management of the Urban informal sector (2002-2004)

In sub-Saharan Africa rapid urbanisation has not been accompanied by a growth in jobs. Instead, thousands of hawkers compete for a living on the streets of most African cities. A comparative study of urban migrants in West and East African urban markets identified the role of the informal sector in the cities’ economy and survival strategies among traders. Findings were reported to the municipalities of Dakar, Accra and Nairobi.

ESRC – From South Africa’s Reconstruction ad Development Programme to GEAR– participatory development planning 1988 – 1998 (1998 – 2000)

This study assessed the implementation of South Africa’s evolving policy framework for involving local people in planning and developing their settlements in the urban and periurban areas of South Africa’s three largest cities. Findings were widely reported in academic and professional publications, as well as a special report being commissioned by the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Innovative workshops allowed beneficiaries and civil servants to debate the implications of the project’s findings.

Decentralising Decision-making in Post-Disaster Government Reconstruction Programmes (in train)

The funding and decision-making for post-disaster reconstruction are generally centralized in ad-hoc agencies which lack the experience and capacity to undertake development work on a massive scale, often to the detriment of local economic and  physical development processes. This study analyses comparatively three reconstruction processes, two, in post-Tsunami Sri Lanka and one in post-earthquake Pakistan. Reporting will be to international agencies, regional development banks and international and local NGOs.

DFID- Safety, Security and Access to Justice in the Balkans 2001

A scoping study with a team of experts to design a £12m programme for the UK Government which aimed at improving safety, security and access to justice in the Balkans, in order to prevent violent conflict.  The programme lasted for 3 years from November 2002 to October 2005 and covered Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia & Montenegro.  The focus of the programme was on longer-term, sustainable institution and capacity building.  The programme was financed through the UK Government’s Balkans Conflict Prevention Fund (CPF), a pool of money from the Department for International Development (DFID), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Ministry of Defence.

World Bank - Albania, Legal and Judicial Reform Project 2002-04

The Legal and Judicial Reform Project aimed to provide required resources for technical assistance, training, goods, and works that are needed to implement important aspects of the Government of Albania institutional agenda for legal and justice system reforms, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law in Albania. The project had four main components. The first component sought to improve legal education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Tirana by funding twinning arrangements to train faculty staff abroad and technical assistance; by strengthening the institutional capacity of the Faculty of Law and funding textbook preparation and teaching materials, financing investments, and rehabilitating and expanding the premises of the law faculty building.

World Bank - Albania, Social Services Delivery, 2004-05

The Social Services Delivery Project for Albania aimed to improve standards of living for the poor and vulnerable population groups by increasing their access to well-targeted and effective social care services; assisting the Government to develop, monitor, and evaluate more effective social policy; and improving capacity for planning, managing, and delivering social care services with increased involvement of local governments, communities, and civil society. There were four main project components. The first component developed the organizational, human, and material resources in the Government to design, monitor, and evaluate social policy. It had three sub-components: supporting the national statistical agency (INSTAT), assisting the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA), and strengthening the development and implementation of pension policy. The second component improved capacity for social services monitoring and administration, and social work training at central and regional levels. The third component had two components that fund community-based social services, and improved the capacity of staff in social service facilities and local government offices to respond more effectively to their clients' needs. The fourth component aimed to ensure an efficient and effective implementation of project activities, and development of project management information systems and monitoring.

International Organisation for Migration and Refugee Action -- Afghan Nationals In The U.K.: Professional Capacity And Views On Return