Policy briefs on the role of the private sector in knowledge brokering for development

Published in January 2020, two new policy briefs examine the role of the private sector in knowledge brokering for international development, based on research from an academic research project. 

Policy brief No. 1: The private sector as the ‘unusual suspect’ in knowledge brokering for international development starts by outlining the potential of private sector involvement in international development, identifying some of the main barriers for private sector involvement. Finally, the brief concludes with some key messages for policy makers.

Policy Brief No. 2: Going beyond business as usual: the private sector’s contribution to the global goals is based on a very recent article and seeks to reveal the hidden dimensions underpinning current policy dialogues on the private sector by looking at discourses central to development policy. Untangling the way in which the role of the private sector is envisioned and talked about helps identify the most fruitful way forward to collaborate with private actors for sustainable development.

The briefs are based on research by the Netherlands' NWO-WOTRO-funded project An unusual suspect: the private sector in knowledge brokering in international development. One of the project’s primary goals is to bridge the academic-policy divide and make sure the findings have an impact in practice. To that end, The Broker has worked with the Unusual suspects research team to translate the project results into clear policy briefs.