DCED Synthesis Notes and Summaries

Private Sector Development (overview documents)

• Private Sector Development, 2025:Two-page overview of PSD with links to the relevant parts of the DCED website. En français. En español.
• Donor PSD Strategies, State of the Art, 2025: 4-pager on current trends and priorities in donor strategies.

^{Learn more: DCED web page on Agency PSD Strategies of individual agencies}

Results Measurement

• Outline of the DCED Standard, 2019: One-page overview of the DCED Standard and its benefits for programmes. En français. En español.
• Results Measurement in Impact Investing, 2017: 2-page summary of the DCED Review in 2016.

^{Learn more: Introduction to the DCED Standard}

Digitalisation

• PSD and Digitalisation, 2020: 6-page summary of economic development opportunities and risks of digitalisation and how different PSD approaches can be used to address them.

^{Learn more: DCED web page on Digitalisation and PSD}

Private Sector Engagement

• Private Sector Engagement, 2022: Introduction to PSE as a new way of operating to achieve the SDGs; also offers a summary of key issues for staff already implementing PSE strategies or working to professionalise their agencies’ PSE approach. En français. En español.
• Promoting Responsible Business Conduct: Key issues for donor agencies supporting Private Sector Engagement, 2022: 2-page summary on current practice related to four government instruments to promote RBC. It also highlights examples of how donor agencies can forge closer linkages between PSE programming and RBC objectives.
• Donor Engagement in Innovative Finance: Opportunities and Obstacles, 2019: 2-pager on key issues for donors, including: definitions and discourse; evidence on results; ‘best fit’ roles for donors; and capacity for performing new roles. Includes a summary graphic of innovative finance concepts.
• Towards strategic private sector engagement: Programming innovations and institutional changes in donor agencies, 2018: 2 pager based on the DCED’s 2017 publication on changes in policies and procedures, staff roles, skill sets and incentives, to enable private sector engagement.
• Demonstrating Additionality in Private Sector Development Initiatives, 2017: One page plus graphics, summarising criteria from the DCED’s seminal 2014 guide on demonstrating additionality.
• Donor partnership funds and facilities, 2017: 8-page summary on programmes that invite proposals from businesses; outlines design options and lessons.

^{Learn more: DCED Private Sector Engagement web page}

Women’s Economic Empowerment

• Women’s Economic Empowerment, 2024: 7-pager exploring major challenges for Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) as well as evidence on what works and why.
• Research & Evidence on Women’s Economic Empowerment, 2019: 5-pager on original research on WEE and effective interventions in different contexts.

^{Learn more: DCED Women’s Economic Empowerment web page} 

Industrial Policy

• Industrial Policy, 2021: 6-page summary of current issues and debates in Industrial Policy. En français En español

^{Learn more: DCED Industrial Policy web page}

Small Enterprise Development

• Small Enterprise Development, 2018: 4-page Note summarising debates on the role of small enterprises in poverty reduction, and on appropriate support from development agencies.
• Evidence on Business Management Training, 2019: Summarises evidence on the effectiveness of business management training, based on studies referenced in the DCED Evidence Framework.

^{Learn more: DCED Small Enterprise Development web page}

Inclusive Business

^{Learn more: DCED Inclusive Business web page}

Employment Creation

• Employment creation, 2017: 4-pager summarising evidence on job creation, based on a review of approaches such as industrial policy, SME support, agricultural development and business environment reform.
• Youth employment, 2018: 5-page overview of the causes of youth employment, and ways to address it, including youth entrepreneurship.

^{Learn more: DCED Employment Creation web page and DCED Youth Employment web page}

Business Environment Reform

• Creating Better Business Environments for Micro and Small Enterprises, 2019: 4-page policy brief, summarising key messages for donors based on the DCED’s technical report on the topic.
• Preferential procurement for Small and Medium Enterprises, 2018: 4-page policy brief, based on the DCED’s technical report on the topic.
• Evidence on Business Registration Reform, 2017: Summarises evidence on the effectiveness of business registration reform in promoting economic development and poverty reduction.

^{Learn more: DCED Business Environment Reform web page and Business Environment Working Group page, including more policy briefs}

Private Sector Development targeting Refugees and Conflict-Affected Contexts

• PSD in Fragile and Conflict Affected Environments (FCAEs), 2018: 4-pager on the role of PSD in poverty reduction and peace building in fragile contexts as well as lessons on programme design.
• PSD for refugees, 2021: 7-page Note summarising key research and conclusions about using private sector development to assist refugees.

^{Learn more: DCED web page on Increasing Opportunities for Refugees and DCED web page on PSD in FCAEs}

Green Growth

• An Introduction to the Circular Economy for Donors, 2021: Introduces the concept of circular economy as a green growth strategy, and outlines practical steps for promoting circular economy in developing countries.

^{Learn more: DCED Green Growth web page}

Urbanisation and PSD

• Towards an urban world: What does it mean for Private Sector Development? 2019: Defines key terms, considers urbanisation as a trend, and explores the implications for LED, Business Environment Reform, Market Systems Development and Private Sector Engagement.