Impact in Global Development: A Discussion Series
I'm organising a free 7-week program exploring different approaches to impact in global development. There will be both a virtual version and in-person(in London) version from March - May 2025.
If this is something you may find useful (now or in the future), sign up here to indicate interest and I will send out more info if enough people sign up.
The Program
Through weekly readings1 and discussions, we'll examine multiple pathways to creating positive change at scale.
The resources that are recommended within each section are highlighted in bold (and in total should take just over an hour to read) but if you already have understanding of a topic feel free to skip or skim over. You probably don’t need to read about the UN if you’ve worked there before.
At the end of each week there are some suggested questions for discussions, but it’ll be useful as you go through to think about any areas that surprise you, or pique your interest for further research. Especially if you’re considering switching careers it may be worth considering what roles you could play in the different fields.
Week 1 - A history of global development
How has poverty changed over the last two centuries?
Transformative Areas for Human Welfare
Industrial Revolution
Vaccines & Public Health
Agricultural Transformation
Energy
Education
Democracy and Rights
Scientific Advancement
Global Governance
Institutions
United Nations
Bretton Woods Institutions
Evidence & Resources in Development
Randomised Controlled Trials & Impact Evaluation
Foreign Aid
Remittances
Economic Engines of Development
Government Revenue & Spending
The Private Sector
Week 2 - Evidence-based interventions, RCTs & Global Health
The Evidence Revolution
Science
Medicine
Randomised Control Trials
Critiques of RCTs (and Impact Evaluation)
Evolution of the Field
Global Health
The Current Global Health Landscape
Key Global Health Areas
Global Health Spending
Week 3 - Democracy, Institutions and Government
Democracy
Democracy's Global Spread
Does Democracy Lead To Development?
Institutions
Historical Development of Institutions
Why Institutions Matter: Inclusive vs. Extractive
Critiques of Institutional Theories
Government
Core Functions
The Growth of State Capacity
Corruption
Relationship with Development
Context-Specific Approaches to Fighting Corruption
Global Governance Landscape
Key Global Institutions
Effectiveness, Criticisms and Reform Debates
Power Centres in Global Governance
Institutional Change - Mechanisms and Strategies
Week 4 - Economic growth
Economic Growth in LMICs - Open Philanthropy
Rethinking evidence and refocusing on growth in development economics - Lant Pritchett
Poor Numbers: The Politics of Improving GDP Statistics in Africa - Morten Jerven
How do you know how well the World is doing? - Yaw
Does growth improve wellbeing for the poorest?
What may not be captured by economic growth metrics?
Is it possible to identify reliable interventions to promote growth?
Is there anything neglected you could do as a donor or with your career?
Week 5 - The Private Sector
Why and how to start a for-profit company serving emerging markets
Want Growth? Kill Small Businesses - Karthik Tadepalli
Direct Work For-Profit Entrepreneurship is Underrated
Covering
Case Studies
The Scale of the Private Sector
Risks and Harms of Private Sector Activity
How neglected is this sector, will you be able to have counterfactual impact?
High-Potential Sectors
Week 6 - Innovation & Metascience
Global Health R&D, Innovation Policy , Scientific Research - OP programs
Salt, Sugar, Water, Zinc: How Scientists Learned to Treat the 20th Century’s Biggest Killer of Children
How to get involved in metascience
Tom Kalil on Institutions for Innovation
Patrick Collinson - Progress
How do we identify and foster innovation pathways?
How do we think about the counterfactual impact of supporting innovation?
How can we better direct innovation toward neglected problems?
What factors have historically enabled or hindered progress?
Is this an area where extra money/people will make a difference?
Week 7 - AI and the Future of Development
How Neil King and David Baker are using AI to create more effective vaccines
Bill Gates - The future of public infrastructure is digital
OECD - Miracle or Myth? Assessing the macroeconomic productivity gains from AI
How AI-powered nonprofits are making health care more effective - SSIR
How farmers without smartphones are using AI
Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta
GiveDirectly’s approach to responsible AI/ML
ID Insight - Ask-a-Metric: Your AI data analyst on WhatsApp
What are the most promising AI applications for development?
How will AI be used by governments, NGOs and the private sector?
Each week combines curated readings, structured discussions, and real-world case studies. The time commitment is 2 hours per week, 1 hour of reading and 1 hour of discussion.
Who It's For
The program is relevant for:
Professionals outside of development considering a career transition
Global development professionals considering shifting into another part of development they are less familiar with
Anyone wanting to understand & discuss effective approaches to global development
Format
Duration: 7 weeks
Time Commitment: ~2 hours/week
Cost: Free
Startdate: March 2025
Two options:
Virtual Cohort: Weekly online sessions
London Cohort: Weekly in-person discussions
If you're interested in joining either cohort or a future version, you can express interest here.
Note: This is a work in progress. Your feedback is essential for improving this series and creating a better resource for helping more people. I’m not an expert in any of these areas so if you spot a number or idea that looks incorrect let me know. Also feel free to suggest additional topics, resources or questions.
Great work
Looks interesting, signing up straight away!