German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

Context Matters – Country-Specific Politico-Economic Analyses, Conflict and Crisis Potentials, as well as Global and Regional Trends / Phase I

International development cooperation can only achieve the goals it has set itself if the various measures are based on a sound knowledge of country-specific developments, the characteristics of the political system, and the potential for conflict and crisis. The project "Context Matters" provides the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development with analysis on partner countries and develops a concept for overarching trend analyses.
BMZ, 2018-2019

Team

Dr. Michael Radseck

Former Associate

Dr. Daniel Dückers

Associate

Head

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Research Questions

The project is focussed on the key question of what opportunities and risks arise for the planning and implementation of German development cooperation from current country-specific, regional and global developments.

Contribution to International Research

During the project cycle the project analyses historical, socio-economic, ecological, cultural developments in up to 95 partner countries of German development cooperation using a comparative frame. It also evaluates the potential for conflict escalation in up to 95 countries. With its work, the GIGA contributes to broadening the knowledge on countries of the Global South and supports the German development cooperation in achieving its goals and those of the sustainable development agenda (Agenda 2030, SDGs).

Research Design and Methods

The methodology of the country-specific analyses is based on a guideline and a catalogue of indicators, which make a comparable assessment possible in the first place. Both instruments will be updated and adapted at the beginning of the project period.

The methodology for the "trend analyses" is being developed as part of this application and, based on the GIGA's expertise in Comparative Area Studies, aims to identify regional and global trends that are or could become significant for international cooperation.

Preliminary Findings

The project delivered the case studies to the BMZ and developed a concept for the overarching "trend analyses". This concept will be applied in the next project phases. The "trend analyses" will be publicly available in various open access formats.