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Dear OTT Community,

This year’s think tank state of the sector report reminded me how our sector is full of contrasts. You’ll find researchers from think tanks with millions of dollars in reserves sat on a panel with those from organisations financially surviving month by month. You’ll see a think tank invest in a new website what is the entire annual budget of another. You might find a small, young think tank outperform larger, older peers because they are in the right place at the right time.

And so, while the sector might be set to grow, this is not the case across the board. For instance, while 53% of think tanks founded before 2000 plan to grow, only 13% of think tanks founded since 2000 have the same plans.

These sector inequalities should rally-us to respond with the kind of nuance that we demand from think tanks themselves. We need to pay attention to the needs of newer and smaller think tanks, as well as those led by women and other under-represented groups.

We should also be open to exploring alternative yet realistic models – even if they seemingly go against everything we believe in.

At the OTT Conference 2023, Simon Maxwell put forward an idea that I think is worth exploring. He argues that the mounting challenges facing think tanks – and the increasingly costly investments necessary to overcome them – makes it difficult to sustain more than a few adequately resourced and sustainable think tanks.

As a result, we see a few very large and well-resourced think tanks that attract most of the funding and attention, and many small and cash-strapped think tanks that barely make ends meet. This situation is worse in the Global South. Across Africa, in fact, just a handful of think tanks are in most research funders’ portfolios.

Would it then not make more sense to invest in policy research ecosystems that are led by one or two large and sustainable organisations surrounded by many smaller, specialised and well-resourced centres, research groups, collaborations, or individuals that generate innovative ideas, help communicate recommendations, facilitate engagement with local communities, etc.?

When things get harder, think tanks tend to compete. By their nature, funders, policymakers and the media encourage this. When things get harder, think tanks should explore new and creative ways to collaborate and support each other and, ultimately, their purpose: better and more informed decisions on matters of public interest.

Read more of my thoughts on this in my latest article ‘Think tanks are taking notice of the canaries dying around them.’

More community-contributed content, providing local insights into think tank sector findings:Six factors that can enable think tanks to develop, Vardan Atoyan
Why are Asian thinktankers pessimistic about the future? Tricia Yeoh
The threats to think tank survival are real, Bonnie Benesh
How think tanks can thrive in uncertain times, Keith Burnet

Help us understand the state of the sector findings in your region. Contribute an article.

Finally, we are inviting think tank leaders and funders to register your interest in attending our 2024 Conference at Fundació Bofill in Barcelona, Spain.

Until next month,

Enrique Mendizabal
OTT Founder & Director


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