"tt newsletter":think tank

 

 

Dear OTT Community,

2024 has been a year of changes in the evidence-informed policymaking world. 

As the love for RCTs and impact evaluations wanes, a new love of living evidence synthesis emerges. But what will 2025 bring? Will the field properly embrace the impact of political, economic, and social factors on whether and how evidence is generated, communicated, and used? 

Think tanks have certainly woken up to the clear and present danger that political polarisation and systematic misinformation pose to their sector. 

I am reminded of Ruth Levine's moral case for evidence-informed policymaking.

Paraphrasing, what draws us to work on ensuring that the most valid and reliable information is available for public policymaking and used by decision-makers? 

The pursuit of truth, justice and human progress.

2024 has also been a year in which OTT has consolidated its work on evidence use in education with long-term collaborations with the Jacobs Foundation, Echidna Giving, and other members of the African Education Research Funding Consortium. We have published a series of articles based on lessons learned throughout the consortium's first two years. 

THINK TANK..

 

 

Dear OTT partner,

2024 is coming to an end; but the work of think tanks continues.  

As we gear-up for the 2025 School for Thinktankers in Barcelona in February, we are also announcing the 2025 On Think Tanks (OTT) Annual Conference. 

The 2025 OTT Conference, will be hosted by the South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA) and the New South Institute (NSI) in Johannesburg, South Africa on 16-18 June.   

OTT Conference brings together thinktankers, funders, policymakers and experts from around the world to exchange knowledge and experience, establish and strengthen partnerships and co-develop solutions to common sector challenges.  

The 2025 OTT Conference will focus on think tanks and impact. It builds upon past discussions by exploring the multiple spaces and ways in which think tanks can contribute towards meaningful evidence informed change. 

Every year we pay attention to ensure a good mix of participants. OTT Conferences are trully global. 

If you have been to one of our conferences in the past or are part of our alumni network you will have received an invitation already. 

But if you have yet to receive an invitation or would like to be invited to the conference, please complete this form.  

Once you register your interest, we will contact you within 2-3 weeks if we are certain that we can offer you a place. Along with this email, you will receive an Eventbrite link to confirm your place. Find out more about the Conference here. 

Another way of securing your place at the conference is by submitting a session proposal that is selected to be included in the programme. In this case, please read the guidelines and submit your session.

We hope to see you there! 

Best wishes,
Enrique Mendizabal
OTT Founder and Director

 

 

More news about the On Think Tanks programme

 

School for Thinktankers 2025

There's still time to register for the School for Thinktankers 2025.

Apply now

 

2024 On Think Tank State of the Sector Report

Read and engage with the 2024 On Think Tanks State of the Sector Report. 

Download

 

Support the On Think Tank Programme

Find out more about the On Think Tanks programme and how to support it. 

Get in touch

 

 

 

 

 

 

tt STATE F THE SECTOR,think tank newsletter

 

 

Dear Reader,

We’re excited to announce the launch of the 2024 On Think Tanks State of the Sector Report, a comprehensive analysis of the global think tank landscape.

Drawing on survey responses from nearly 300 organisations across 95 countries, it offers a comparative perspective on the key factors shaping think tanks’ sustainability, impact, and prospects for the future.

What’s inside the report?

• Organisation matters: The survey responses revealed a strong correlation between organisational features and impact.
• Navigating polarisation: Political polarisation complicates efforts to engage effectively with policymakers and stakeholders, particularly in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Funding: There’s a stark contrast in funding models between high-income and low-income countries.
• Research priorities: While economic policy and governance are top priorities, regional differences emerge.
• Emerging trends: Technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), has the potential to revolutionise research and communication.

Explore insights from the report 

Dive deeper: Regional insightsAlongside the report, we’re publishing 13 regional blogs written by our partners. These blogs explore national and regional dynamics in greater detail, adding a nuanced layer to the global findings. Explore the blogs here:

2024 State of the Sector Report Partner Insights

 

A huge thank you to our regional partners and blog contributors for their invaluable input and support in shaping this year’s report!

 

If you are a think tank funder and would like a private briefing of the report and its findings, please contact us. Find out how you can support the next State of the Sector Report.

Get in touch

 

 

 

 

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THINK TANK:Encouraging Dialogue: Sector Insights, Evidence Week & New Initiatives

FROM
Enrique Mendizabal

Dear OTT Community,

Dialogue is at the heart of everything we do.

The publication of the Think Tanks State of the Sector Report in November offers an opportunity to encourage informed dialogue about the challenges and opportunities faced by think tanks and the evidence-informed policymaking field. Stay tuned for the launch!

The Semana de Evidencia 2024 will take place between November 11 and 18. This regional festival promotes dialogue about evidence-informed policymaking locally. Sign up now!

Throughout last year, we have also supported student-led think tanks in OTT’s Building for the Future initiative, which embarks on multi-regional dialogues to incorporate new perspectives into European policy debates. Applications for the second round of support are now open.

Dialogue (between new sets of partners) is at the heart of our response to ill-conceived efforts to address inequity in North-South think tank collaboration. Dialogue (between and within local policy research committees) is what we think should be at the heart of any effort to create a living evidence synthesis.

It’s the people and the relationships they forge—not reports—that make a difference.

Enrique Mendizabal :think tank

 

This edition of the OTT newsletter is brought to you by Marcela Morales, who leads our evidence use in education practice. Dear OTT Community,  This month has been full of exciting developments in our work on evidence use, particularly in education. Through our collaboration with the Jacobs Foundation, we’ve had the opportunity to bring insights from the evidence-use field into education, connect with partners, and think about how evidence can be most effectively used to inform education policy and practice. Our team has been busy sharing insights in key spaces. At the What Works Hub Meeting in Oxford, Clara Richards reflected on the incredible passion and knowledge dedicated to solving global challenges. However, she reminded us that we need to tackle the "thorny issues"—complexity, politics, and power dynamics—that slow down progress. If we want to scale impact, these can’t be ignored. For more on thorny issues in evidence use, check out the latest reflections from my colleagues Enrique Mendizabal and Vanesa Weyrauch on why confronting these difficult issues is essential to unlocking transformative impact. I had the pleasure of speaking at the Annual ICSEI Conference, where I explored the critical role of policy labs in advancing evidence use. A key takeaway: navigating the politics of evidence is essential to ensuring it leads to meaningful change. Check out OTT's recently published interview with Dr. Vijay Pingale, CEO CEGIS and article on Institute for Government's UK Ministers Database to see this in action. A special shoutout to the ICSEI organisers for bringing together such an engaging group of experts and practitioners, including my fellow panellists, Mukdharut Bangpan (UCL), Jonathan Kay (Education Endowment Foundation), and Nóra Révai (OECD) — all doing fantastic work to push the field forward. Earlier this month, I teamed up with Samuel Kembou from the Jacobs Foundation on the Let's Talk Education Africa podcast to discuss policy labs and evidence use. I highly recommend their podcast for great content and insights from practitioners doing impactful work in Africa.

think tank,COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,EUROGROUP..

 

Press material Thursday, 03 October 2024

● European Council   03/10/2024 20:53 | Statements and remarks | G7 Leaders’ Statement on recent developments in the Middle East   We, the Leaders of the G7, express deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct military attack against Israel, which constitutes a serious threat to regional stability.  We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel. Iran’s seriously destabilizing actions throughout the Middle East through terrorist proxies and armed groups—including the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas— as well as Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, must stop. Yesterday we discussed coordinated efforts and actions to avoid escalation in the area.

"tt" newsletter

 

 

Dear OTT Community,

All too often, we spend time theorising about how best to communicate evidence to inform policy. At OTT, we have been lucky to work with think tanks and funders who wish to inform policies. All too often, though, they rely on assumptions of policymakers' decision-making. In response, we have documented and shared research about the policymaking process over the years. Here is an article from 2014 that presents research from the United States, Britain and Australia: What do policymakers want?

More recently, we have been systematically interviewing users of evidence for a new series: Voices of Evidence Users. The series features interviews with:

• Jordanian parliamentarians
• Dr. Pamela Nakamba, economic advisor to the President of Zambia
• And many more policymakers from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

We hope to continue documenting the experiences and knowledge of the individuals that policy research funders, researchers, and think tanks try to inform and, with it, strengthen the assumptions on which they develop their strategies. Please contact us if you wish to support this effort.

Finally, don’t forget to register for the 2025 School for Thinktankers.

Until next month,
Enrique Mendizabal
OTT Founder & Director

 

 

New content this month

OTT THINK TANK newsletter

 

 

Dear OTT Community,

Since Quique is on a well-deserved holiday, he asked me to give you a sneak preview of our newsletter.

I'm excited to share the exclusive details about the School for Thinktankers 2025. Registrations opened on August 7, unveiling a range of new features that will turn your interest into a decision to attend: a new country, home, and programme! Fundació Bofill and OTT, after an unforgettable experience during the 2024 Annual Conference, decided to continue working together. Therefore, the warm city of Barcelona will host the ninth edition of our global school from February 3rd to the 7th (2025).

This time, we bring you an updated programme with topics, trainers, and methodologies that will significantly contribute to your leadership and performance, whether you are a policy entrepreneur or part of a think tank or foundation. Register and allow yourself to meet and interact with peers and experts worldwide. For more information, please visit the following link.