This project uses UNU-WIDER’s high level of convening power – its ability to mobilize senior figures in the development policy debate from different paradigms – and its ability to stand aside from the fashions and pressures of the academy, to bring together a team of senior economists of longstanding experience (including policy advisers at national level and within international development agencies).

Researchers including Joseph Stiglitz, Andy Sumner, and Kermal Dervis focus on how to reinvigorate development economics to once again address the challenge of productive transformation to speak to the needs of policy-makers. They evaluate what was right, and what was wrong, in the toolkit of big development economics as it has evolved over the past 60 years; and establish how best to analyse productive transformation in ways that are relevant in today’s global economy and to today’s decision-makers.

With a broad geographical spread, the project captures transformation experiences and successes from a variety of low-, middle- and high-income countries, and its results will be translated into a set of policy recommendations for today’s low- and lower-middle income countries.