Development

System-wide change creates resilient communities.

Development in low- and middle-income countries faces systemic barriers to change, including inadequate planning and governance, that hinder progress.

System-wide change is needed to bring about inclusive, sustainable development and build healthy and resilient communities.

Education, health, and planning departments and ministries need support to develop interventions based on evidence of what works and to put robust systems in place that can track progress and demonstrate results.

What can we do for you?

We develop, test, and scale solutions to economic, health, education, infrastructure, and climate challenges across the globe.

Support locally led development

We focus on lasting, deep, and sustainable change by building local and national capabilities and strengthening planning and governance systems.

Build partnerships for progress

We bring together government stakeholders, investors, private-sector companies, and communities to solve problems collectively.

Design investable programs

Rigorous project preparation and clear processes for managing risks throughout project delivery and operation build investor confidence and deliver value for all stakeholders.

Share knowledge

We apply lessons learned from complex programs, based on evidence of what has worked and delivered sustainable change. We help to initiate a cycle of continuous improvement.

Drive social inclusion

Our local country knowledge helps to drive inclusive growth that meets the needs of local people, particularly marginalized groups, bringing empowerment and improving equity across society.

Climate Change Support Programme, Nepal. We are developing the capacity of local governments in Nepal to manage and implement funding for climate change adaptation and resilience and attract international funding in the future.

Services we provide

Sustainable development solutions for a changing world

We work collaboratively with governments, international donors, development partners, and community groups to find solutions that fit the local context and meet the needs of all stakeholders. We can help you with:

Design greener policies and projects by providing local governments with guidelines on integrating climate considerations into policies and processes.
Gather evidence about communities’ diverse and changing needs and respond with innovative, scalable initiatives that improve food and water security, build climate resilience, encourage entrepreneurship, and diversify incomes.
Monitor and evaluate projects to identify potential issues, manage risks, and keep projects on track.
Pass on lessons learned to help clients and partners establish best practice, and initiate a cycle of continuous improvement.

Provide technical expertise, financial management, and risk management on major global health programs aimed at advancing health security and equity of access to healthcare services.
Develop collaboration across human health, animal health, and environmental health through mentoring, technical training, and participation in collaborative projects.
Improve surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, in collaboration with national governments and global health partners, through investment in laboratory diagnostics and technical capabilities.
Help develop skills and mentoring programs that strengthen expertise across the public healthcare workforce, working with national training institutions.
Improve the ability to manage and use clinical data and health metrics in decision-making among clinicians, health system managers, and policy makers.
Address health issues through multisector initiatives that remove barriers to education, improve employment opportunities, or shift expectations about the role of young women in households and community economies.
Promote investment in adolescent health services that support young people’s well-being, education, and decision-making.

Develop and implement climate adaptation and resilience plans at national and local levels, providing advice on how to prioritize and validate investments.
Strengthen climate skills and capabilities, planning, and leadership through targeted training, skills development, analytic tools, and systems for sharing knowledge.
Consider climate risks and resilience when shaping new projects and targeting investment to protect existing infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, energy, transportation, water, and sanitation systems.
Help governments to develop investable projects that meet the requirements of climate funders.

Work with policymakers and school leaders to increase school capacity, school management, school supervision, and target resources where they are most needed.
Strengthen systems and processes to improve teaching and learning, monitor performance, and respond to problems as they arise.
Monitor and evaluate interventions in local contexts and use implementation evidence to inform the future design of education initiatives.
Create safe and inclusive school environments that increase participation and improve educational achievement for marginalized groups.
Develop standard models for improving teaching capability, lesson plans, and workbooks for students.
Remove barriers to learning through engagement with teachers and school leaders, families, religious leaders, young people, and community groups.

Provide strategic advice on applying global best practice in a local context to create infrastructure programs that are high quality, cost-effective, and sustainable.
Shape projects by setting out key objectives and performance parameters, with decisions underpinned by data, needs assessments and feasibility studies, stakeholder consultation, and market analysis.
Build investment cases that provide an attractive risk-return profile for private investors and improve access to climate finance.
Engage with communities by designing consultation programs to give all community groups a say in planning decisions.

Our people

Meet the team

Our experience

Our technical experts, in collaboration with local leadership and delivery teams, are building healthier and more resilient communities:

Climate Change Support Program, Nepal

We provided technical assistance in the second phase of this UK-aid-funded program aimed at locally led climate adaptation projects in rural Nepal.
Fleming Fund, internationally

We are the management agent for the Fleming Fund, a UK aid program led by the Department of Health and Social Care, supporting up to 25 countries across Africa and Asia to improve surveillance of antimicrobial resistance.
Flight Works Alabama, USA

We provided design and construction oversight for Flight Works Alabama, an innovative learning center located near the landmark Airbus Final Assembly Line. Flight Works Alabama offers excitement, learning, and workforce opportunities. It features an interactive exhibition area, classrooms, a collaboration room, a workshop, a restaurant, and a gift shop.
Girls’ Education Challenge, Asia and Africa

Cambridge Education, our specialist education consultancy, was joint manager of this UK-aid-funded program from 2020 — helping to improve teaching and learning opportunities for marginalized girls and young women across 17 countries in Asia and Africa.
Green Cities and Infrastructure Program, internationally

We are a key infrastructure partner on this £100 million program, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, to support green cities and deliver high-quality, climate-resilient infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries.
Leh Wi Lan, Sierra Leone

Our specialist education consultancy Cambridge Education implemented the UK-aid-funded Leh Wi Lan (Let’s Learn) program in Sierra Leone, which strengthened the country’s education system at national, district, and school levels.