About Us
Why we signed up for this journey, and how we plan to approach the Governance Action Hub’s work. Help us be more useful to Governance Explorers making things happen around the world.
Why a Governance Action Hub?
Governance is not a problem of only governments or company boardrooms. It is about steering, about going places and making things happen.
At the Governance Action Hub, we want to bring governance closer to people, because the way policies, programs or initiatives are organized and implemented affects the future of all of us: individually, collectively, for us and for generations to come.
We believe you should have the chance, when you are able to do so, to pursue, foster, inform or demand governance action and reform, regardless of whether you are a regular citizen or work in government, civil society, private sector, or an international organization.
We want to explore what is possible in governance action and reform through collaborative approaches and better coordination of local and global action, in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time.
But we cannot do it alone.
We need others like you, offering and gaining perspective on opportunities to do things better in the governance space, recognizing and facing context challenges, local politics, or prevailing power dynamics.
Our Approach to Governance
We believe that achieving better governance—benefiting people’s lives, rights, and opportunities in sustainable ways—requires a systems lens that:
- Is politically savvy and context-informed,
- Includes learning loops that provide actionable insights, and
- Is rooted in collective, inclusive action.
The design of the Governance Action Hub has drawn inspiration and built on learnings from organizations like the Asia Foundation or the Center for Public Impact.
We are obsessed with impact, but it is people like you in the trenches, in the pursuit of change, who will make things happen. We want to be, first and foremost, useful to you as a connector of learning and networks in the pursuit of policies, reforms, programming that can make things happen and is sustainable over time.
The Governance Action Hub aspires to become a place for potential or emerging coalitions for change to connect with one another and explore and co-create solutions to shared challenges.
In order to do that, we will first lead a number of global and country-level explorations to show the potential of the ideas behind the Governance Action Hub. We will only pursuit and sustain demand-driven explorations with a clear path to ownership from partners, especially country-based ones, and that build agency and engagement from local stakeholders.
Our Approach to Governance Evidence & Data
Evidence is crucial—but can it be more action-oriented? Can we communicate it more effectively, especially to key stakeholders who can use it to drive change?
We foster a strategic, systems approach to using evidence and data. Across our work, we engage with storytellers, think tank analysts, politicians, advocacy, and community leaders to inform ways in which evidence and data can better inform and influence policy and action.
Our Approach to Governance Innovation
Governance challenges are complex by nature and require an approach to innovation that encourages ingenuity and ambition—focusing less on tools and more on processes, less on individual genius and more on collective understanding of pathways to change.
Rather than a tech-focused, pilot-based approach, we take a moonshot, exploratory approach to governance innovation. We foster ideas that are collectively generated and contrasted. How quickly and efficiently can we determine if we are headed in the right direction, learn together, and pivot when necessary?
Our Theory of Change is a Compass, not a Map
Our overarching theory of change is meant to be adaptive. It should lead and over time reflect iterations in each of our initiatives, and a conscious effort to be demand-driven.
We have customized theories of change for each of our initiatives. You can find more info on those on the respective pages.
Below is an illustration of the Governance Action Hub’s Theory of Change.
Our Catalyzing Themes
By engaging widely in shaping this program, we have identified four main themes with opportunities to try new approaches to governance and reform that encourage broad participation.
We take each theme an as entry point or window of opportunity for a better way of doing governance.
Subnational Level Development Processes
Can a collaborative and subnational model to engage people in the implementation of local development strategies show the way for country-wide action? Starting with Peru and Colombia, we are exploring how to turn opportunities for change at the subnational level into opportunities for increased trust in development processes and improvements in outcomes deemed a priority for local actors.
Climate Action and Energy Transition
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime. Do we have the right governance in place to elicit country reforms and global action? Will energy transition processes be truly Just? Explore with us how to build governance systems that reflect the priorities of the people most at risk, one that accounts for and corrects historical inequities. Take a look at our work in Colombia and, soon, the Philippines. Join us in eliciting global action ahead of COP in Brazil!
State Capture and Anticorruption
We have come a long way in understanding state capture as a challenge that is different from corruption. State capture can be legal and can lead to progressive weakening of institutions. Can we build effective collective action to overcome it? Explore the State Capture Index and learn more on our plans for a State Capture Collaborative.
Renewing Democracy
Beyond renewal, democracy may need a rethinking, questioning, analyzing our beliefs on what a democracy really is. How do we make the democratic process work better for people? Maybe by showing its value and impact in solving concrete problems people face. Stay tuned for more from the Governance Action Hub on this.
Governance Action Hub Team
We are people like you, driven by the possibility to make a contribution to the governance space. We are a combination of young and experienced consultants and Results for Development staff, with diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Along with our partners, we are united by our commitment to help local leaders make governance work better, engaging citizens in the solution of problems and the pursuit of common goals.
The Hub's Funding Sources
The Governance Action Hub is able to explore what is possible thanks to the financial support of key organizations that believe in our mission. They have seen the potential and alignment of this work in countries or themes they support under their respective strategies, or as core funders to build the platform.
If you believe in the values that guide our work, please consider supporting our in-country local partners first, or the Hub as a channel to facilitate better and more effective collaboration.
Let’s explore together what is possible in governance action and reform.
BHP Foundation
Our Partners
Across the world and during our journey, we are finding many partners with which we share mission, ethos and drive. For more details on our emerging work together, visit our initiative pages.
Semillero Transición Energética Unimagdalena
PARTNER
Join the Governance Explorers
We are bringing together a global network of people eager to rethink governance and influence local, national and global debates.
"Goodwill from both government and local community leaders is essential for successful climate action"
"The question is how do you get the good idea to reach the right people to make change?"