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Developments is DAI’s newsletter, offering feature articles, research, opinion pieces, and interviews on DAI projects and global development issues. Digital@DAI is our blog on what we're learning in the field of digital acceleration.

Featured Articles

Developments

gareth e-davies

Tags: market-systems-development

20 hours ago | 6 min read

The Art of Grant Making—Lessons from SHARPE

In the third and final article on grant-making for private sector actors, Gareth Davies shares some of the lessons and recommendations from the in-depth study of the Strengthening Host and Refugees Populations in Ethiopia (SHARPE) program experience. 

Developments

lana ramer

2 days ago | 5 min read

The Road More Traveled: Upgrading Ukraine’s Land and Rail Border Crossing Points

USAID tasked the Economic Resilience Activity with upgrading Ukraine's border crossings to improve grain and export volumes while enhancing the border staff and passenger experience. 

Developments

kyla grau, alex riabov

4 days ago | 4 min read

Strengthening Trade and Investment Through Climate Finance in Africa

The USAID Africa Trade and Investment Activity and Prosper Africa programs offer custom climate change solutions to help African governments, businesses, and smallholder farmers transition to more sustainable, productive, and profitable approaches amid a complex trade and investment landscape. 

Recent Articles

Developments

Future-Proofing Export Success for Developing Countries

How can government or donors help to foster long-term export success in these countries? Fundamentally, they must tackle two main sets of issues: macro issues related to international trade barriers and micro issues related to individual businesses and the environment around them.

joe phillips, nora brown

7 min read

Developments

Establishing a Benefit Sharing Mechanism: Lessons from Mozambique

Establishing a community benefit-sharing mechanism, whether part of a carbon project or, as in Mozambique, in the oil and gas sector, presents numerous challenges. The private sector moves forward quickly and has the capacity and systems to easily overwhelm a less savvy community.

christy owen, kate heuisler

8 min read

Developments

How Data Analysis, Community Engagement, and GIS Delivered a Reliable Water Source to an Afghan Community

By desilting the central stretch of the Char Dara canal in Afghanistan, a DAI project worked to improve agricultural resilience, bring economic stability, and secure a reliable water source for the thousands of farmers who rely on the canal for their livelihoods. 

alice brindley, bella brittan

4 min read

Developments

The Realities of Providing Cost-Share Grants to the Private Sector

This is the second in a series of three articles that examine market systems development within refugee contexts and how grants catalyze change and innovation. It explores the realities of providing cost-share grants to private sector actors.

gareth e davies

6 min read

Developments

New Paper Explores How Pakistan Can Better Manage and Benefit from Hill Torrent Flooding

A recent paper, based on key stakeholder discussions held earlier in 2024 in Pakistan, presents recommendations for policies for managing hill torrents.

darren saywell

5 min read

Developments

The “Theory” of Grant Making for Private Sector Actors

This is the first in a series of three articles that look at the intersection of market systems development and humanitarian relief and how grants are used to catalyze change and innovation among private sector actors. This article considers the theory of grant-making.

gareth e davies

4 min read

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