We offer a variety of services based on the multi-disciplinary and cross-regional expertise provided by our specialists. We operate in seven areas in the broad field of public policy:

• Citizenship and Participatory Democracy

  At Innovasur we strongly believe in harnessing the knowledge and values of ordinary citizens in order to strengthen participatory democracy and good governance.

  Based on our combined experience in projects aimed at promoting local participatory democracy, participatory learning and action, and participatory action research, our offer of services is directly relevant to local and national contexts, both in Europe and in the Global South.

  Innovasur associates have been in charge of research, capacity development and training activities in the framework of programmes funded by the European Union and by the Spanish, Italian and Dutch development agencies. Our team includes some of the most respected specialists in the field of participatory budgeting. We also have a strong network of useful connections in academic institutions, governmental agencies and international organisations active in the promotion of participatory democracy around the world.

• Development Cooperation

  At Innovasur we are very active in the production and dissemination of new ideas, and rather than prescribing models, we believe that development policies should be based on learning processes, in which local contexts are placed at the centre.

  The age of modern development policy started in 1944, with the establishment of the Bretton Woods institutions. Now, almost seven decades later and billions of dollars further, it is clear that development policies did not deliver what they promised.

  Today, development in Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and Latin America, is stagnating. Moreover, in the framework of the global economic, financial and environmental crises, new debates are taking place on the effectiveness of foreign aid and the meaning of international cooperation. The new development paradigms that emerged after the failure of the “Washington Consensus” are already being tested, with mix results, in different parts of the world.

  Our offer of services in this area — based on extensive experience both in academic research and in development cooperation projects in the South — relies on a careful consideration of the political economy of development in each national or regional context, taking into account the views and interests of all stakeholders.

• Economic Development

  At Innovasur, we are able to offer expert technical advice and in-depth analysis of local, national and regional economies, providing a sound basis for public policy at different levels.

  In addition to our ample experience in economic development projects funded by the European Union, we have worked with governmental authorities throughout the South — particularly in Latin America — assisting with the preparation of strategic plans and the formulation of policies at the local and national levels. Moreover, our team includes university researchers and lecturers specifically focused on economic policy.

  The keys to our effectiveness are sound academic qualifications and ability to interact with public officials and other stakeholders, using our professional knowledge to promote innovation in the planning and implementation of policies and programmes.

• Evaluation and Monitoring

  Our professionals have over 30 years of collective experience in monitoring and evaluation.

  Innovasur specialists hold relevant postgraduate qualifications and have worked as evaluators of policies, programmes and projects for a wide range of institutions, including both governmental and non-governmental organizations.

  We produce in-depth reports informed by the most recent theoretical and methodological developments in the field. We favour participatory approaches and learning, aiming at expanding the capacity of our counterparts to carry out their own effective evaluation and monitoring.

• Environment and Development

  The Innovasur team includes experienced specialists in energy policy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and green economic policy.

  Global climate change is arguably the biggest challenge threatening the future of civilization. The negative impacts of the environmental crisis are already being felt in many regions of the world, most clearly in the poorest countries of the South. Overcoming this challenge requires major structural changes, including a radical shift towards a low carbon economy.

  Innovasur offers expertise in the planning, implementation and appraisal of environment and development policies, including interventions designed to tackle climate change on a local, national and regional level. Our multidisciplinary perspective and range of expertise enables us to understand and manage the inherent complexity of these issues.

• Social Policies

  Our approach relies on bringing together the hard data, learning from best practice research, and feedback from civil society organisations and other stakeholders, aimed at offering innovative and feasible solutions for the new social policy challenges of today.

  In a global environment characterised by increasing political and economic uncertainty and competition for financial resources, the planning and implementation of social policy require a precise identification of needs, the formulation of effective strategies, and setting up innovative systems for service delivery.

  The team of professionals that compose Innovasur have been working for many years with international agencies and national and local governments, mapping out policy trends and providing technical advice, including the development of new models and strategies for service delivery in Europe, Latin America and Africa.

• Gender

  In Innovasur we are aware of the need to address social analysis and intervention from the perspective of inclusion of disadvantaged groups to achieve social change.

  The gender, age group, ethnicity, social background or geographical origin are key elements of social positioning that can be addressed to promote social inclusion and strengthening democracy. Our experience in the analysis and observation in many local and national contexts, tells us that especially the social origin and gender are exclusion vectors that deserve special attention. Therefore the Innovasur team develops specific methodologies for diagnosis and intervention in this field.

• Youth and childhood

  The Innovasur team has an ample experience in the diagnosis and design of community intervention processes based on the demands and resources of a particular community.

  In a context of rapid change that specially strikes children and youth, we consider the challenge of conceiving policies on childhood beyond descriptive analyzes and traditional approaches that focus on these groups as mere beneficiaries, restraining their development and full exercise of rights. Innovasur provides tools to train, advise and assist the design of community participated policies and plans to move towards full citizenship for children and youth.

• Public Services

  Innovasur can provide socially- and politically-sensitive expertise, at a time when public sector reform is once again at the forefront of the international agenda.

  Around the world, there is a growing recognition that privatisation and other market-driven strategies have failed to deliver their promise to supply adequate and effective public services such as water, electricity and health to low-income households. This has entailed a rethink of previous strategies and models, with renewed and heated debates about the roles of the state, the market and civil society in the provision of basic services.

  Our team has been very active in the transformation of public services, providing research and consultancy services in several countries around the world. Some of our associates have worked closely with Latin American and European governments in introducing some of the most successful innovations in this field.

The Innovasur team offers a wide range of expertise, including social scientists, economists, development practitioners, management consultants and evaluation specialists. Our core group is exceptionally experienced in designing and implementing projects for very diverse organizations and in many different locations. Our approach is to provide tailored services based on innovative thinking and a careful consideration of specific local conditions.

Innovasur provides the following services for organisations working on public policy issues:

• Consulting services and technical assistance
• Policy and social studies and research
• Economic analysis and feasibility studies
• Impact evaluation
• Capacity development and training
• Field surveys and participatory research
• Organisation of workshops, seminars, and conferences