Process

The way we reach an outcome is just as important to us as the outcome itself. We believe in extensive collaboration, bringing together diverse perspectives and experiences, and providing evidence and lessons that will lead to a lasting difference in people's lives.

Simplified theory of change diagram

Theory of change

The way we work is just as important as the work we do.

Our theory of change is central to how we make change happen – how we shape our research and the interventions that drive policy change to address the global challenges in our strategy.

See our theory of change
IIED senior researcher Susannah Fisher sits on the ground discussing research in Gorakhpur in India

Research excellence and impact

Ensuring that our evidence is of the highest quality is central to our credibility and policy influence. Find out more about how we work towards research excellence, including our commitments to integrity and ethics and quality standards.

Read more about our research
A woman holds a ruler on a piece of paper and another one draws with a pen. / Mapping workshop in Nakhon, Ghana (Photo: Axel Fassio/CIFOR, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Monitoring and evaluation

Ensuring we monitor and evaluate our work is essential to knowing the impact we have made alongside our partners. And we are also committed to continual learning – so we are delivering better research, working more efficiently and sharing lessons with others. 

Learn how we evaluate our work
Participants collaborate at the Development and Climate Days (D&C Days) in Dubai, 2023

IIED’s values

IIED’s values are central to the work we do, and how we do that work. Prior to the launch of our manifesto in May 2024, we revisited our institutional values, and co-created this evolved set together.

Read our six values
Gathering of people in the shade of trees, a woman stands in the foreground

How we communicate

Achieving the greatest impact means knowing when to communicate our research, whom to target, and what the right message is to make change happen. 

Our communications work puts audiences first, creates impactful content and provides a framework for our communications to be as effective as possible. 

See our focus on communications