Inclusive Governance and Evidence-Informed Policymaking

The Hewlett Foundation has supported government transparency, participation, and accountability in low and middle-income countries for over two decades. We make grants to foster inclusive and responsive governance in service of all people, particularly those who have experienced the most marginalization. We partner with movements, coalitions, media, and membership organizations that use information to increase government responsiveness to underserved populations’ needs and aspirations. We also support organizations that help policymakers find and use high-quality evidence in their decisions. This includes building trust, collaboration, and capacity among those who generate, share, and use evidence.

Inclusive Governance

Promote the efforts of underserved populations — especially women and youth — to exercise power so as to make governments more responsive to their needs and aspirations. We make grants to resource and amplify movements and coalitions, increase their use of government information, and strengthen independent and pluralistic media. Our focus countries are Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, and Senegal and we also support innovative approaches in Burkina Faso and Tanzania. Read our full strategy (English, French, Spanish).

Evidence-Informed Policymaking

Ensure policymakers can access and use high-quality evidence in their decisions. This includes strengthening trust, collaboration, and capacity among those who generate, share and use data. Our grants strengthen the evaluation of public programs, support the use of new sources of data, and increase the ability of think tanks around the world to contribute to better public policy. Read our strategy (English, French).

The world has made remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty, combatting childhood disease, and opening schools to more children. Yet low- and middle-income countries face persistent problems of access and quality of social services. Some of these deficits are a product of resource shortages or limited capacity, but the most egregious problems have less to do with the amount of money invested than with imprudent or corrupt use of that money—misuse enabled by weak mechanisms of public accountability.

If citizens have knowledge about their government’s actions and can engage those responsible to represent their interests, they can hold government accountable and ensure the delivery of quality public services. We provide about $30 million annually to support efforts that increase transparency, participation and accountability, particularly in East and West Africa, as well as Mexico.

Both citizens and policymakers, however, need credible, timely evidence to inform their advocacy and decisions. Unfortunately, almost none of this is available to decision-makers in the developing world, who face critical shortages of information about (and analysis of) social and economic conditions, problems, and solutions.

Even when evidence is available, there is no guarantee a policymaker can find, understand and use that evidence. Often, research and evaluation findings are hard to access or understand because those who generate, share and use it interact infrequently. We make about $15 million in grants each year to build the field of evidence-informed policymaking.