Explore our research
Explore our recent output of research and opinion.
A voice and forum for future generations in the united nations
This policy brief outlines how a Special Envoy for Future Generations and a UN Forum on Future Generations could support countries to implement the Declaration. It suggests how these tools could work and through what process they could be created.
Implementing a declaration on future generations
This policy brief outlines what implementing a Declaration on Future Generations, annexed to the Pact for the Future to be adopted at the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024 could mean in practice by identifying key policy tools.
Command and can’t control: an evaluation of centralized accountability in the public sector
High-frequency granular data can enable senior government officials to hold poorly performing members of the service delivery chain to account, however, centralised management must translate large volumes of data into appropriate management actions to be effective.
The effect of inter-municipal cooperation on social assistance programs
Decentralised administration of social assistance programs requires significant organisational capacity. In some circumstances, inter-municipal cooperation can enhance local policy implementation but impact evaluations have focused on public services that are capital-intensive, and on the effect of cooperation on service costs rather than quality.
Efficiency and resilience: How can we adjust the dial?
Following a roundtable to explore finding a better balance between efficiency and resilience, this report summarises the discussions and presents ideas to contribute to the policy discussion on shifting towards prevention and resilience.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: When (and why) independent service delivery is preferable to collaborative public management
Drawing on a notable case of collaborative failure in England we show that misdiagnosing public service problems as being of a type likely to be cured by joint working also generates poor results, and belongs conceptually prior to many “go-to” explanations of failure.
Accounting for carbon offsets – Establishing the foundation for carbon-trading markets
Tackling climate change requires not only reducing green house gas emissions but also removing them from the atmosphere. The offset-accounting principles in this paper complement and extend the E-liability method of accounting for GHG emissions.
Toward a Declaration on Future Generations
A key UN proposal to issue a Declaration on Future Generations and commit to institutional reforms could mark an inflection point in longstanding multilateral efforts to manage crises and place long-term sustainable development on secure foundations.
The public institutional integrity of the Amazon Fund
The Amazon Fund has the potential to enter a new phase, attracting millions of dollars in donations. For this, it must maximise its trustworthiness. The theory of public institutional integrity supports the Fund in identifying how it could improve its trustworthiness.
Questioning hierarchies: Senior leaders’ views on how global civil services changed during the pandemic
A newly published PeopleGov report finds the pandemic imposed a dual imperative on civil services: the need for greater speed, flexibility, and decentralisation of decision-making on the one hand, and for greater coordination and collaboration on the other.
Addressing challenges to remote and hybrid working in public organisations
The People in Government Lab’s policy report Addressing challenges to remote and hybrid working in public organisations presents the results of a survey conducted in several public organisations in three countries – Brazil, Chile and the United Kingdom. It provides insights into improving remote and hybrid working inside governments.
The Lemann Foundation Programme is a comparative research programme with an emphasis on Brazil, which generates and disseminates knowledge to improve the public sector and its associated institutions.
See how the School is responding to the climate emergency through our research and insight.
The Library of Global Public Goods was set up to share free learning resources that will enrich conversations among educational leaders in Global South countries.
Our research underpins our mission to inspire and support better government and public policy around the world.