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Ideas in Development

Ideas in Development
Artificial Intelligence
Africa
Economic Growth
India
Economic Development
Rwanda
Vietnam
Africa Urban Lab
Precision Development
Growth Policy
Cities
Adalat AI
Youth Impact
Costa Rica
Industrial Revolution
Infrastructure
Doi Moi Reforms
Poverty Reduction
Governance and Policy
Peru

Conversations on the forces shaping economic development.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes34Founded9 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Social SciencesEducationScience

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Artwork for Ideas in Development

Latest Episodes

If every development economist stopped their research tomorrow, would Africa's growth rate in 2040 look any different?

Ken Opalo, associate professor at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and author of the Substack An Africanist Perspective, joi... more

GiveDirectly started out as a small nimble team founded by PhD economists, who had a novel approach to ending poverty – just give cash. But they are no longer the new kids on the block, and have been scaling their operations rapidly in recent years, ... more

The ultra-poor graduation approach has one of the strongest evidence bases in development. Almost all of that evidence comes from NGO delivery – but true scale typically requires government delivery.

Stephanie Brockerhoff, Director for Programme Des... more

This interview was conducted by Exporters Without Borders (ESF), which incubates entrepreneurs to start new export industries in low and middle income countries. The video version of this podcast, an accompanying article, and their ongoing research a... more

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Recent Guests

Ken Opalo
Associate professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, writer
Georgetown University
Episode: S4 Ep7: Does Africa need development economics?
Caitlin Tulloch
Senior director for research, learning and product at GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly
Episode: S4 Ep6: GiveDirectly’s quest for scale
Stephanie Brockerhoff
Director for Program Design and Impact for BRAC's Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative
BRAC
Episode: S4 Ep5: How BRAC partners with governments to fight poverty
Thomas Kehler
Entrepreneur who started multiple export industries in Latin America (Colombia flowers, Chile salmon)
Flor America (founding partner)
Episode: How to start an export boom
Celia Kehler
Investor and partner in Chilean salmon venture; contributor to discussions of leadership and team culture
Partner in salmon venture, Puertomont, Chile
Episode: How to start an export boom
Rachel Glennerster
President at the Center for Global Development
Center for Global Development
Episode: S4 Ep4: Has development economics lost its way?
Stefan Dercon
Professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford; director of the Center for the Study of African Economies
University of Oxford; CSAE
Episode: Stefan Dercon on elite bargains and kickstarting economic growth (via the AUL Podcast)
Dean Karlan
Economist, professor; guest on the show
Yale University
Episode: S4 Ep3: Moving billions towards evidence
Mamo Mihretu
Former Governor, National Bank of Ethiopia; former senior policy advisor to the Prime Minister
National Bank of Ethiopia / Ethiopian government
Episode: S1 Ep5: How Ethiopia reformed its economy

Host

Oliver Hanney
Host specializing in economic development and policy; associated with VoxDev and Ideas in Development.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 29 ratings
  • Timely insights on global development

    I really enjoyed both the AI in development and the growth series.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mr. Monster Minaj
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • my thoughts

    Exciting stuff, can’t wait!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mrgeneralbean
    France9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the data-driven approach to development questions.
Some episodes feel dense; listeners who prefer practical summaries may want show notes.
Episodes balance theory with actionable takeaways for policy and program design.
Guests are high-caliber experts, leading to credible, nuanced conversations.
Positive reception of the seriousness and impact-focused discussions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S4 Ep7: Does Africa need development economics?
Q: What needs to happen for research to translate into policy in African countries like Kenya?
Policymakers must be involved from the outset, evidence must be embedded in local context, and research should focus on actionable recommendations, coalition-building, and understanding political economy so policies can be implemented and sustained.
S4 Ep7: Does Africa need development economics?
Q: If every development economist stopped working tomorrow, would Africa still see growth from existing, 'boring' interventions like irrigation and improved seeds?
Yes, the core drivers of growth are often the practical, on-the-ground investments that improve productivity and logistics; what's missing is the ability to implement and learn by doing within local contexts, rather than new research per se.
S4 Ep5: How BRAC partners with governments to fight poverty
Q: Could you walk us through a concrete example of what this looks like in a specific country when BRAC anchors into an existing government program?
In South Africa, for example, BRAC layers productive assets and livelihood investments onto the existing child support and social grants recipients, integrating coaching and convergence with current government investment to improve reach and impact while respecting existing structures.
S4 Ep5: How BRAC partners with governments to fight poverty
Q: And in terms of your own route to working on this, you were previously at Oxford Policy Management, where I imagine you had insight into the various governments' attempts to implement social protection programs. What were some of the things that you would see going wrong in those attempts?
There are many great programs, but the designs often weren't built to be run by governments; they relied on donor logframes and external experts, making sustainability and scale difficult once handed over to public systems.
How to start an export boom
Q: How did you end up in Colombia and start the flower business?
Thomas Kehler describes arriving in Colombia through a university-linked incubator project, meeting key collaborators, and identifying opportunity in cut flowers which led to Flor America in Bogota.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Ideas in Development

What is Ideas in Development about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This series consistently explores how policy, economics, and development work in the real world, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based approaches, scalable programs, and the political economy of reform. Key throughlines include cash transfers and social protection, export-led growth, urban policy, and the transformation of governance to enable effective aid delivery. The conversations frequently feature researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from leading global institutions, dissecting what works at scale, how to measure impact, and how to align technical design with political feasibility. Notable strengths include rigorous methodological discussion, practical lessons for governments and NGOs, and a clear focus on making developmen... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Ideas in Development?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ideas in Development:

1. VoxDev Development Economics
2. The Africa Urban Lab Podcast
3. Odd Lots
4. Dwarkesh Podcast
5. Conversations with Tyler

How many episodes of Ideas in Development are there?

Ideas in Development launched 9 months ago and published 34 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Ideas in Development?

Recent guests on Ideas in Development include:

1. Ken Opalo
2. Caitlin Tulloch
3. Stephanie Brockerhoff
4. Thomas Kehler
5. Celia Kehler
6. Rachel Glennerster
7. Stefan Dercon
8. Dean Karlan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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