Sustainable Think Tanks

The Sustainable Think Tanks project documents the transformative role that the Think Tank Initiative (TTI) has played in the life of think tanks. CSTEP was one of the 43 think tanks from all over the world selected for the TTI grant. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the value of core support in strengthening think tanks in ways unparalleled by project funding, particularly in creating conditions for long-term sustainability, strengthening organisational systems, and enhancing the effectiveness of think tanks.

The project has the following objectives:

1. Showcase and document the crucial role played by TTI's transformative contribution to strengthening think tanks and the knowledge ecosystem in South Asia
2. Outline how the context in which think tanks have worked, particularly the evolution of social science research landscape in South Asia, has impacted think tanks' organisational journeys within TTI, and affected their abilities to engage in public policymaking in the region
3. Highlight the contribution that strengthened think tanks can play to enable the SDGs and other key development-related policy agenda

The Think Tank Initiative

The Think Tank Initiative is a multi-donor programme dedicated to strengthening the capacity of independent policy research institutions in the developing world. Launched in 2008 and managed by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), TTI is a partnership among five donors.

TTI seeks to nurture the long-term sustainability of the think tanks it funds. As such, core funding is combined with dedicated capacity development support by programme officers and external experts in three broad areas: research methods and skills, policy engagement and communication, and general organisational effectiveness. TTI also supports peer-to-peer review, learning, and exchange.