Principles for effective communication and public engagement on climate change
What is it about This handbook, commissioned by the IPCC’s Working Group I Technical Support Unit, provides practical, evidence-based principles for effective climate communication. It distils social science insights into six key practices: be a confident communicator, talk about the real world not abstract ideas, connect with audience values, tell human stories, lead with what […]
Getting started with open contracting
What is it about This quickstart guide from the Open Contracting Partnership is a hands-on resource for governments that want to make their procurement more transparent, efficient, and fair. It helps public servants move from theory to action by breaking down how to open up contracting data, engage users, and build reforms that solve real […]
What drives civil service performance?
What is it about This summary from the International Growth Centre brings together key lessons from research on what actually improves civil service performance in low- and middle-income countries. It highlights that reform efforts often fall short because they focus too much on formal rules and not enough on incentives, workplace norms, and real-world constraints. […]
Financing reform in fragile settings
What is it about This report looks at why traditional aid models often fall short in fragile and conflict-affected settings – and what to do instead. It argues that success in these environments isn’t about perfect plans or tight controls, but about building trust-based, adaptive partnerships that can navigate uncertainty. Drawing on lessons from countries […]
Designing stronger WASH systems
What is it about This practical toolkit from IRC helps governments and development partners design programmes that strengthen entire WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) systems, not just individual projects. It shifts the focus from delivering short-term services to building long-term sector performance. The toolkit offers a step-by-step approach to understand the system, identify weak points, […]
Digital tools for citizen engagement
What is it about This global toolkit from the World Bank helps governments use digital tools to make citizen engagement more effective, inclusive, and results-driven. Instead of starting from scratch, public servants can use the catalog to explore over 160 real-world examples of digital citizen engagement, organized by goals like transparency, feedback, collaboration, and civic […]
Measuring progress on govtech
What is it about This World Bank resource introduces the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI), a global tool to help governments track how well they are using technology to deliver public services, strengthen core government systems, and engage citizens. It goes beyond just measuring the presence of digital systems. Instead, it looks at whether these systems […]
Making civil service reform work
What is it aboutThis guide from USAID and The Policy Practice offers clear advice for governments tackling civil service reform in difficult political and institutional environments. It moves beyond technical fixes and lays out what it really takes to shift incentives, improve performance, and strengthen public sector accountability. The core message is simple: civil service […]
Designing better procurement tech
What is it about This resource argues that procurement technology will only work if it works for people. Many e-procurement systems fail because they are built around bureaucratic rules, not the real-world needs of users like suppliers, procurement officers, or auditors. This guide by the Open Contracting Partnership shows how a human-centered design (HCD) approach […]
Building coalitions for reform
What is it aboutThis practical note explains why reformers rarely succeed alone. Building effective coalitions – across government, civil society, and political actors – is often essential to move reforms forward and keep them on track. The World Bank draws from field experience to offer clear advice on how to identify key players, align interests, […]