Firms like Dalberg are needed more than ever in an increasingly complex world where sociocultural beliefs influence the effectiveness of public health interventions, where psychology interplays with sustainability measures, where the business of globalization meets the small farmer, and where economic and social development needs a well-thought out strategy in order to be innovative and successful.

Dalberg is a global development advisory firm where capital, research and strategy work cohesively to develop innovative solutions . Dalberg capital designs financial tools for high growth development projects. By developing these financial capabilities locally, Dalberg is able to incorporate their understanding of the local environment into their development strategies. Dalberg addresses specific needs of the communities.

Functioning like a think tank, the Dalberg Research team identifies critical issues related to global development, social impact and investing. The team offers analytical insight that can shape further solution design, investments and policy. They offer insight on topics like the internet gender gap and the need for a change in African economics in order to generate employment for the youth in the region.

In one of their contributions, a collaboration with the IFC, the research team identified the factors that contribute to the inefficiencies of aid organizations and proposed solutions to fill the gaps. The report highlighted some successful examples like the ICICI rural banking system in India and suggested an information sharing system at all levels of the supply chain that would increase transparency and accountability. The plan  also discussed the need to engage in more public-private partnerships to scale up the efforts of the private sector and to know about and adopt measures that have been successful elsewhere. This is just one example of the kind of work that Dalberg Research produces.

Dalberg also works with international aid organizations and governments to determine paths for growth and successful strategies to fill the development gap. For instance, in Senegal, the youth population is large and the school drop-out rate is high. The International Youth Foundation and USAID in Senegal wanted to strengthen their existing programs by understanding the youth perspective. Dalberg stepped in to perform the assessment and guided a discussion on potential solutions to this problem based on their findings.

In Pakistan where literacy and school enrollment is low, Dalberg worked with a development finance institution to identify schools that provide quality education, understand their business models, and regulatory factors that influence their success. With this kind of assessment, they were able to contribute to the design of financing models and investment options to foster the growth of the education sector.

The approach of organizations like Dalberg allow for the identification and scale up of successful solutions and enhanced cooperation between the private sector and aid agencies. An in-depth understanding of the contextual landscape of developmental issues assists in developing a more refined financing system and a friendlier political climate. Such organizations are finding an important place in the integrated methods that play a role in the fight for global equality.

– Mithila Rajagopal

Sources: CNBC Africa, Dalberg 1, Dalberg 2, U.S. News

Photo: Dalberg