Local Development, Governance and Resilience

Development outcomes depend on more than resources and technical capacity. Political authority, institutional incentives and unequal access to opportunities shape how policies affect communities. RAAD examines local governance, decentralisation, public institutions, service delivery, social protection, displacement, inequality and economic development. The programme considers how local political relationships influence development outcomes and how communities respond to political, economic and environmental shocks. It identifies the conditions under which development strengthens inclusion, accountability and resilience rather than reinforcing existing inequalities.