John Young
Executive Director
John joined INASP as Executive Director in November 2018. He previously spent 17 years developing and leading the Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and, prior to that, nearly 20 years based in Sri Lanka, Kenya and Indonesia developing, implementing and testing new approaches to rural development and decentralized public services.
Since returning to the UK, he has undertaken research, evaluations and other assignments in more than 20 developing and emerging countries. He has also advised international NGOs and bilateral and multilateral development organizations on a wide range of topics including research-policy linkages; policy engagement and influence; organizational and institutional development; capacity development, especially of think tanks and think tank-like organizations; government service reform; monitoring evaluation and learning; and strategic communication.
Read blog posts by John here.
Key skills and expertise:
- Research-Policy linkages
- Policy influence
- Institutional development
- Think tank capacity development
- Government service reform
- Strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation
- Leadership
- Management
- Communication
Selected publications:
- Enabling Equitable Knowledge Ecosystems in Africa and Asia (2023)
- Blended Learning in Universities in East Africa: Lessons from the PEBL Partnership (2021)
- Creating an earthquake scenario in China: A case study in Weinan City, Shaanxi province (2020)
- Practical science for uncertain futures. Using scenarios to improve resilience to earthquakes (2019)
- Partner-led evaluation for policy research programmes: a though piece on the KNOWFOR programme evaluation (2019)
- 10 things to know about how to influence policy (2017)
- The Indonesian knowledge sector: a contextual analysis (2016)
- Informing REDD+ policy: CIFOR's Global Comparative Study (2015)
- Research for better aid: an evaluation of DFAT's investment (2015)
- Pathways to earthquake resilience in China (2015)
- The ROMA guide to policy engagement and influence (2014)
- Monitoring and evaluation of policy influence and advocacy (2014)
- An External evaluation of the Think Tank Initiative (2013)
- Evidence-based policymaking: challenges, methods, and innovations in assessing policy influence (2012)
- Developing capacities for better research uptake: the experience of ODI's Research and Policy in Development programme (2011)
- The political economy of policy-making in Indonesia: opportunities for improving the demand and use of knowledge (2011)
- Producing home grown: solutions Think tanks and knowledge networks in international development (2011)
- Impact of research on policy and practice: Working with complexity (2011)
- Helping researchers become policy entrepreneurs (2009)
- Exploring the science of complexity: Ideas and implications for development and humanitarian efforts (2008)
- Setting the Scene: Situating DFID's Research Funding Policy and Practice in an International Comparative Perspective (2007)
- Policy Engagement: How civil society can be more effective (2006)
- Capacity Development for Policy Advocacy: Current thinking and approaches among agencies supporting Civil Society Organisations (2006)
- Bridging Research and Policy in International Development: An Analytical and Practical Framework (2006)
- Research, Policy and Practice: Why Developing Countries are Different (2005)
- Partnerships and Accountability: Current thinking and approaches among agencies supporting Civil Society Organisations (2005)
- Bridging Research and Policy in Development (2005)
- Animal Health Care in Kenya: Community-based Services (2003)
- Bridging Research and Policy: Insights from 50 Case Studies (2003)
- Good News when Researchers and Politicians Work Together (2003)
- Bridging Research and Policy: Context, Evidence and Links (2002)
- Bridging Research and Policy in International Development: Context, Evidence and Links (2002)
- Building Capacity in Southern Research: A Study to Map Existing Initiatives (2001)
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning
Senior Leadership Team