Assignment Reports
This report focuses on the specific challenges and opportunities of states that are making two challenging concurrent transitions, away from both extreme poverty and from conflict. First, they are ‘countries where the longer term prospects of the poor to escape poverty are overall good, but not necessarily secure or sustainable, and at risk of development… Read more
This Second-Stage Report follows an initial scoping study (the ‘Inception Report’) and is intended to provide the Department for International Development (DFID) with support for the 2018 launch of its Education Technology Hub for Research and Innovation. This report seeks to provide actionable understanding of the EdTech ‘landscape’ in seven focal countries: Bangladesh, India, Jordan,… Read more
The ongoing conflict in Syria has taken a devastating toll on the education system; the impact on infrastructure, personnel, resourcing and student attendance is well documented. New DFID-funded research focuses on children’s learning and their exposure to trauma to build a picture of early primary education in opposition-held areas. In combining data on academic performance… Read more
The purpose of this Fiduciary Risk Assessment (FRA) for Jordan is to update and expand on the FRA that was prepared in May 2016 at the country level for the education sector, including with a focus on the implementation of the Jordan Compact Education Programme, which is supported by the Department of International Development (DFID)…. Read more
This rapid review report has identified the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) options used in emergency settings, with decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) and mobile wastewater treatment units performing most effectively and with minimal costs. Examples are taken from refugee camps and internally displaced people (IDP) settlements due to the Iraq war, the Israeli-Palestine conflict, and… Read more
The last decade has witnessed renewed interest in the social benefits of higher education, with recent research suggesting that universities have a role in nurturing developmental leaders who enable positive change and better governance in low-income and conflict-affected countries (Brannelly et al, 2011b). This review summarises available evidence on the relationship between higher education, developmental… Read more
The current conflict in Yemen, which began in 2015, has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. As of March 2017, 18.8 million people are in need of humanitarian support, and 10.3 million are in acute need (Sikurajapathy and Al-Fotih, 2017). Women, men, boys and girls have been affected in different ways by the conflict. This rapid… Read more
This rapid review is based on 5 days of desk-based research. It is designed to provide a brief overview of the key issues, and a summary of pertinent evidence found within the time permitted. The literature was identified using two methods. Firstly, a number of experts were identified and contacted. They were asked to provide… Read more
This annotated bibliography highlights 14 key resources drawn from the studies which underpinned the questions answered in this helpdesk report. Some selection criteria included the source’s relevance to the query, recent publication, contextual relevance and methodology. The sources below are grouped into three sets: those selected based on their relevance to the Syrian context; those… Read more
This report summarises available literature and evidence relating to the above two specific questions. The geographical focus of this research is Syria and neighbouring countries. However, examples of evidence from different contexts are also drawn to inform this review. Education and psychosocial support are purported to have a dynamic and mutually reinforcing relationship. The Education… Read more
Social capital in Yemen is informed primarily by tribal affiliation, particularly in rural areas and in the north. Other important sources including faith based institutions, local community solidarity initiatives, civil society organisations and support from the diaspora. While social capital has been eroded due to political, social and economic changes in recent years, the strong… Read more