DEVELOPMENTS BLOG

Developments is DAI’s newsletter. News and feature articles, opinion pieces, and interviews highlight DAI projects and offer insight into global development issues of the day.

From Growth to Momentum: Mastercard Strive USA’s Year 2 Highlights and What’s Next

Now in its third year, Mastercard Strive USA is building on two years of strong results and charting an ambitious course toward a more inclusive, connected, and digitally enabled U.S. small business landscape.

Developments

emma kerr, Senior Global Practice Specialist, Governance

16 days ago | 9 min read

Six Ways to Reduce Environmental Destruction Caused by Illicit Financial Flows

Part I of this blog looked at the role of organised crime in the destruction of the Amazon through clearing land for illicit activities. Part II highlights why this happens and what can be done about it.

Developments

katie vaughan, Senior Management Analyst

1 month ago | 9 min read

Operationalizing the Graduation + MSD Integration Model in Refugee Settings: Lessons from Uganda

The Graduation Approach and MSD offer powerful frameworks for lifting vulnerable communities out of poverty, but in refugee settings, neither approach alone may be enough. This blog explores key strategies for aligning the Graduation Approach with MSD partnerships.

Recent Articles

Blended Finance for SME Growth: Evidence from Nepal

Recent experience on two DAI-managed projects in Nepal illustrates the significant potential of blended finance in spurring growth in small and medium-sized enterprises.

james naughton, uddhav shelvankar

1 month ago 8 min read

The Silent Killer: The Impact of Illicit Financial Flows on Environmental Destruction (Part I)

Environmental damage is often caused by organized crime organizations, which are destroying critical rainforests to plant drugs, trafficking illegally sourced natural resources, or laundering illicit funds through seemingly legitimate use of the land.

emma kerr

1 month ago 7 min read

Boosting Agricultural Productivity and Expanding Market Access in Mozambique

Mozambique’s abundant arable land holds immense but largely untapped potential. Most farmers are trapped in subsistence farming, relying on traditional methods and constrained by limited access to the improved seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural knowledge that would boost their low productivity.

communications team

2 months ago 3 min read

The Centre for Local Business Development in Guyana

The Centre for Local Business Development, established with funding from the Stabroek Block partners under the Greater Guyana Initiative, supports local enterprises to benefit from the growing opportunities in the energy and non-energy sectors.

communications team

2 months ago 4 min read

Integrating Market Systems Development and the Graduation Approach in Uganda

At the heart of the SMILES project is its integration of the graduation approach and MSD. The graduation approach focuses on structured interventions that provide extremely poor households with the support they need to escape poverty.

katie vaughan

3 months ago 8 min read

The Seeds of Opportunity in Nigeria’s Devaluation Crisis

A recent study by DAI makes clear there is opportunity in Nigeria's currency crisis. If the government can properly manage its currency devaluation, it may be able to spur economic expansion on the back of the naira’s increased competitiveness.