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.

Thinking and Working Politically to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows and Serious and Organised Crime

Investment in tackling illicit finance is an important mechanism to protect donor countries from threats. Here, we share three lessons learned from the Tackling Illicit Financial Flows (TIFF) project that demonstrate the importance of thinking and working politically for sustainable impact.

Developments

anne brady, naomi somerville-large, james naughton

10 days ago | 5 min read

Financial Services, MSD, and Resilience: Case Studies from East Africa

Can financial services and the broader financial market ecosystem help build climate resilience among marginalised communities? Our new paper explores how the application of innovative financing models, the development of digital ecosystems, and institutional collaboration are building resilience.

Developments

sara hiller, anthony jones

21 days ago | 11 min read

Shaping the Future of Data Center Development: A Strategic Playbook for Local Governments

The U.S. data center market presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for local governments to attract investment and shape how it advances long-term community priorities. We’ve developed a four-part strategy for maximizing benefits on all sides.

Recent Articles

Adapting the Agent Model for Clean Energy Access in Uganda’s Refugee Settlements

Experience from the SMILES project shows that energy solutions in fragile settings don’t fail for lack of demand; they fail when business models don’t adapt. One promising pathway is the agent model, but only when it is carefully adapted to context.

stephen anecho

1 month ago 10 min read

Translating Practice into Learning: Patrick Henry on Leading DAI Local Content Masterclasses

When Patrick Henry leads a DAI Local Content Masterclass, he doesn’t just explain what works, but why it works. With decades of experience in project implementation and supply chain development, Henry ensures each course is grounded in what’s workable rather than theoretical.

communications team

2 months ago 7 min read

Critical Minerals Strategy and Supply Chain Resilience

On July 10, DAI and MSA Mining co-hosted a high-level discussion on the global critical minerals landscape.

communications team

3 months ago 4 min read

Systems First: Why Nigeria’s Learning Challenge Demands Stronger Foundations

Nigeria has made steady progress in expanding access to education. Yet many pupils still finish primary school without the literacy and numeracy they need to thrive. The task ahead is no longer simply getting children into classrooms, but ensuring the system turns access into achievement.

zehra zaidi

4 months ago 7 min read

Building Tomorrow’s Economies: Dr. Syham Bentouati and the Strategic Evolution of In-Country Value

Dr. Syham Bentouati, a leading voice in the Middle East’s In-Country Value (ICV) evolution and expert trainer at DAI’s next Local Content Masterclass, explains how practitioners can deepen their engagement with the complexities of economic diversification and industrial strategy.

communications team

4 months ago 7 min read

Building Win-Win Data Center Projects: How Strategic Planning Aligns Profitability and Local Economic Development

Data centers are essential to the future of AI, cloud computing, and digital commerce. But building them requires more than engineering expertise. It demands a multi-stakeholder strategy grounded in real-world analysis.