The Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

The Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

<div id="toc">
<h2>Table of Contents</h2>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_about"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">About</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_mission"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Mission</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_odi-and-gender"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">ODI and Gender</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_programmes"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Programmes</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_development-progress"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Development Progress</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_see-also"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_external-links"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="w_about">About</h2>
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) is the UK’s leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues.
<h2 id="w_mission">Mission</h2>
The ODI’s mission is to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing countries. The organisation do this by locking together high quality applied research, practical policy advice, and policy-focused dissemination and debate. The ODI’s work with partners in the public and private sectors, in both developing and developed countries.
<h2 id="w_odi-and-gender">ODI and Gender</h2>
Gender inequality causes and perpetuates poverty and vulnerability. But greater gender equality can help to reduce the root causes of poverty and vulnerability and contribute to sustainable pro-poor growth. – click <a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/search/site/gender">here</a> to access all of the ODI’s work on Gender.
<h2 id="w_programmes">Programmes</h2>
The ODI works across a wide range of sectors that have a direct impact on the well-being of the poorest people in developing countries.
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/agricultural-development-policy">Agricultural Development and Policy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/aid-public-expenditure">Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/climate-change">Climate Change</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/communications">Communications</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/communications">Growth, Poverty and Inequality</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/humanitarian-policy-group">Humanitarian Policy Group</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/international-economic-development">International Economic Development Group</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/politics-governance">Politics and Governance Programme</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/private-sector-markets">Private Sector and Markets Programme</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/rapid">Research and Development programme</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/social-development">Social Development</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/social-protection">Social Protection</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.odi.org.uk/programmes/water-policy">Water Policy</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="w_development-progress">Development Progress</h2>
Despite global and domestic challenges such as the food crisis, the threat of climate change, as well as barriers to accessing health, education and employment opportunities, significant and inspiring development progress has been accomplished all over the world. Founded on this belief, ODI established <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/">Development Progress</a>, a project funded by the <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx">Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</a>, which aims to highlight stories of progress and challenge the tale of pessimism and negativity that too often characterises narratives and perceptions of development.

Stories from the first phase of the project were selected from among low and middle-income countries using the following criteria: scale; sustainability; equity; regional variation; and an element of surprise – countries that have not achieved widespread recognition or achieved progress ‘against the odds’. <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories">24 case studies </a>were carried out, spread across <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories">eight different dimensions of wellbeing </a> including: economic conditions; health; water, sanitation and hygiene; education; governance; environmental conditions; agriculture and rural development; and social protection. Case studies can be viewed and downloaded from the following country pages: <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/el-salvador%E2%80%99s-progress-negotiation-political-inclusion-and-post-war-transition">El Salvador</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/costa-ricas-sustainable-resource-management-successfully-tackling-tropical-deforest">Costa Rica</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/social-protection-brazil-impacts-poverty-inequality-and-growth">Brazil</a>; Egypt; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/progress-water-supply-burkina-faso%E2%80%99s-cities">Burkino Faso</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/benin%E2%80%99s-progress-education-expanding-access-and-narrowing-gender-gap">Benin</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/ghanas-sustained-agricultural-growth-putting-underused-resources-work">Ghana</a>, <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/ethiopia%E2%80%99s-rapid-and-equitable-expansion-access-education">Ethiopia</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/eritrea%E2%80%99s-progress-health-and-child-health">Eritrea</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/somaliland%E2%80%99s-progress-governance-case-blending-old-and-new">Somaliland</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/rural-water-supply-uganda-major-strides-sector-coordination-and-performance">Uganda</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/rwandas-progress-health-leadership-performance-and-health-insurance">Rwanda</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/improved-economic-conditions-malawi-progress-low-base">Malawi</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/namibia%E2%80%99s-natural-resource-management-and-wildlife-conservation">Namibia</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/south-africa%E2%80%99s-social-security-system-expanding-coverage-grants-and-limiting-increa">South Africa</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/mauritius%E2%80%99-sustained-progress-economic-conditions">Mauritius</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/indias-progress-providing-employment-poor">India</a>, <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/bangladesh%E2%80%99s-healthy-partnership-and-effective-pro-poor-targeting">Bangladesh</a>, <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/valuing-contribution-environment-gross-national-happiness-bhutan">Bhutan</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/thailands-progress-agriculture-managing-transition-and-sustaining-productivity-grow">Thailand</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/lao-pdrs-progress-rural-sanitation">Lao PDR</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/cambodia%E2%80%99s-progress-basic-education">Cambodia</a>; <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/progress-stories/viet-nams-progress-economic-growth-and-poverty-reduction-impressive-improvements">Vietnam</a>; <a href="http://external.developmentprogress.odi.mwdev.co.uk/progress-stories/indonesia%E2%80%99s-state-cohesion-and-strategic-institutional-reform">Indonesia</a>. ODI also published a <a href="http://www.developmentprogress.org/global-report">global report </a>mapping development progress. The report summarises evidence of progress and how it was achieved in the 24 case studies. The project recognises there is not one path to progress, but progress comes in many different shapes and from; progress is diverse. Watch this short film for an overview of the findings from the first phase of the project:

<h2 id="w_see-also">See also</h2>
<a href="http://www.wikiprogress.org/index.php/Overseas_Development_Institute">ODI Development Progress</a>
<h2 id="w_external-links">External links</h2>
<a href="http://www.odi.org.uk">The Overseas Development Institute</a>