Dear OTT Community,
I’m back from a short holiday (and I hope you managed one too!). During the break, I kept coming back to one theme—leadership, and how much it shapes the strength of a think tank. With that in mind, I’m excited to share some of the new things we’ve been working on, as well as a few that are just about to launch.
Leadership is at the heart of strong think tanks. It is not only about managing organisations, but about cultivating vision, navigating complexity, and creating the space where ideas can truly influence policy. This month, we take a closer look at what leadership means for think tanks and their funders today.
The 2025 OTT Conference gifted us with four fantastic keynote speeches from four inspiring leaders. They expressed the need to be principled, work with others, accept setbacks and persevere.
This new page compiles interviews with think tank leaders and offers rare insights into the personal and institutional challenges of steering organisations in unsettled political and financial contexts.
It is in response to these challenges that we have developed multiple services for think tank leaders:
The upcoming School for Thinktankers 2026 continues this exploration, serving as a laboratory for the next generation of leaders to reflect, learn, and connect.
Alongside this, our ongoing Advisory Programme provides tailored, hands-on support for leadership teams as they navigate strategy, governance, financial planning and organisational growth.
Financial advisory support to navigate rigid funding rules and budgeting gaps between think tanks and funders.
Explore new ways of thinking about investing in evidence-informed policy and monitoring progress, and use the Quick Score matrix and facilitation guide for better-informed sensemaking discussions.
Finally, a heads-up: the State of the Sector 2025 report is on its way! As always, it will provide a global snapshot of how think tanks are evolving—and, perhaps, how leadership will determine the paths they take. Join us later this month as we dive deeper into trends and key findings.
Until next month,
Enrique Mendizabal
Featured content
Series spotlight: Think tank leaders
Explore studies, interviews and articles dealing with issues of governance and management, communications, and research from the unique perspective of think tank Executive Directors and other think tank leaders around the world.
New blogs:
- Building system: New ways of thinking about investing in evidence-informed policy and monitoring progress by Enrique Mendizabal
Say it with confidence: Rethinking attribution in evaluating influence by Enrique Mendizabal
Driven by purpose: One thinktanker’s path to making a better world with Tlegen Kuandykov
OTT in the news:
- Think tanks: Global perspectives meet local realities in Mercator’s Aufruhr magazine
- Localisation is the future of education research in Africa by Joyjayanti Chatterjee for Alliance Magazine
Running a think tank in a changing Europe: People, politics and the fight for relevance
OTT Talks is back for Season 3! We open with a powerful conversation with Mathieu Lefèvre, co-founder & CEO of More in Common. He reflects on the rise of polarisation and disinformation in Europe, and why leading a people-centred organisation today means treating evidence as a statement of values.
Do you have insights, case studies, or research to share? Submit your article to reach a global audience of policy experts, change-makers, and thought leaders.
OTT Consulting: Helping you to deliver your missions
Supporting Funders
The Africa Education Research Funding Consortium (AERFC) unites funders to strengthen African-led, evidence-informed education research, fostering collaboration and aligning priorities. In August, AERFC hosted a session to translate principles into practice and introduced HERI-Africa, a new Pan-African initiative launching in Kenya in October 2025, expanding to 10 countries by 2035. HERI-Africa aims for university-based, Africa-led research to improve learning, connect youth to opportunities, and support national prosperity.
Key insights from the session included:
- Shift power in research funding: Trust African leadership and leverage the diaspora’s resources.
- Bridge research and impact: Share findings in accessible ways and harness African philanthropy.
- Back African-led research: Focus on long-term benefits, young voices, and policy relevance.
- Turn evidence into reform: Communicate better with policymakers and mentor emerging scholars.
- Embed collaboration: Link civil society, government, and universities to strengthen evidence use.
Through this dialogue, AERFC reinforced its role as a connector and facilitator, helping transform shared values into practical, Africa-led solutions for education research and policy.
Interested in supporting African-led education research? Join the AERFC network.
Supporting Think Tanks
Coming soon: 2025 State of the Sector Report
The State of the Sector 2025 report is almost here! This year’s edition takes a close look at how think tanks worldwide are navigating political polarisation, shifting funding landscapes, and the rise of AI. As last year, this edition includes insights and analysis from most of our 25 local partners. The report launches on 17 September, followed by an OTT Talks Live on 23 September, where we’ll unpack key findings with partners from across the globe. Stay tuned for insights and register now to join the conversation.
As part of its Advisory Programme for Think Tank Leaders, OTT will support PEP in strengthening its financial sustainability. Through a tailored advisory process, OTT will help PEP assess its current budgeting practices, explore sector-wide formats and approaches, and develop a roadmap for cost-efficient project monitoring and risk management.
Communications Community of Practice
Communications teams play a vital role in translating internal knowledge into impactful messages for the right audiences at the right time. To strengthen this work, we’re creating a space for think tank and research communications professionals to share experiences, exchange lessons, and learn from both successes and challenges. We plan to meet every two months—and invite you to join us by taking 5 minutes to complete this form.
Research Support Service
Development Insights & Trends: Fresh reads on international policy from the desk of OTT’s Research Support Service
The Research Support Service (RSS) curates key ideas and insights from across the international policy landscape to help you spot the trends shaping global development.
In today’s context of tighter budgets, more complex challenges, and a renewed call for transformational impact, the World Bank Group is making a concerted effort to align these tools—by design.
The G20 Africa Expert Panel discussed global financial architecture flaws, specifically how African nations face 500% higher loan interest rates from capital markets than from multilateral development banks. This was deliberated at a consultative meeting during the African Development Bank's 2025 Annual Meetings.
This briefing reflects insights from the high-level Latin America and Caribbean Regional Dialogue on Energy Transition and Climate Action held at the 2025 Panama Climate Week (PCW), convened by the Energy Transition Council (ETC), E3G and the Talanoa Institute, with support from Transforma Global.
For more tailored insights, reach out to Joyjayanti Chatterjee.
News & Events
OTT Talks Live: Trust in evidence in challenging times
Join us on 23 September for a special edition of OTT Talks live, where we go over key findings from the 2025 State of the Sector Report with Diana Hollmann, GIZ, and Christopher Chibwana, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Semana de la Evidencia 2025: 13-17 October 2025
You still have time to join the Semana de la Evidencia and engage in bold, inclusive conversations on how evidence is driving change across Latin America.
School for Thinktankers 2026
There is still time to apply for the 10th edition of the School for Thinktankers at Fundació Bofill in Barcelona, 2026.
Africa @ World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings, 14 October, Washington, D.C
Hosted by the Nkafu Policy Institute, in partnership with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and Afrobarometer.
Evidence 2025 Conference, 30 September-2 October, Cotonou, Benin
Africa Evidence Network's Evidence 2025 brings together the Pan-African community to advance evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) across the continent. This collaborative initiative aims to foster connections, deepen understanding, and drive impact in EIDM, ultimately reducing poverty and inequality in Africa.
New leadership appointments:
Rodrigo Salvado has been appointed as Global Head of Strategic Financing Partnerships (SFP) at HSBC, after three years at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Board of Directors has appointed Ludger Schuknecht as Vice President for Policy and Strategy.
Dr. Thu Nguyen and Dr. Nils Redeker will step in as Acting Co-Directors of the Jacques Delors Centre, effective 1 October, as Dr. Johannes Lindner concludes his three-year tenure and returns to the ECB.
Professor Sachin Kumar Sharma has been appointed as the new Director General of The Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India.
Dr. Rose N. Oronje has been announced as the new Deputy Executive Director for the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP).
Elena Lazarou has been appointed as the Director General of ELIAMEP (Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy).
In September, Jessica Rosenworcel will join the Media Lab as the new Executive Director.
OTT Jobs board
- Trade Policy Analyst, Cato Institute
- Policy Analyst, Welfare and Opportunity, Cato Institute
