DRN (Development Researchers' Network) is an Italian consulting firm that provides its services to national and international organisations, to assist them in the formulation and management of development policies and programmes, in regions, countries or areas characterised by widespread poverty phenomena and/or by complex transition processes. As indicated by its name, DRN intends to:

• contribute to the attainment of higher development standards in terms of economic growth, based on poverty reduction and social inclusion.
• combine professional and research activities, in order to integrate the participation to the formulation and debate on methods and strategies with the experience acquired in the field.
• carry out its activities in network with other institutions/organisations with similar objectives but complementary expertise, in order to:
• reinforce the responsiveness of the intervention to the country and area-specific challenges (networking with institutions based in the beneficiary countries);
• overcome the limits of isolated/single sectoral or geographical backgrounds (networking with institutions based in donor countries).

 

WHAT WE DO

Sustained economic and social development and ultimately poverty reduction require the definition and adoption of a comprehensive set of innovative measures that emphasize the multi-dimensional implications of the growth process. In order to respond to these challenges, DRN has developed a specific expertise in relation to the following areas of intervention:

• Rural development: rural livelihood, food security, social funds, community development, agricultural services;
• Local development: local economic development, decentralisation, local partnership building;
• Governance and Capacity building: public administration reforms, capacity development, institutional strengthening, organisational development, decentralisation, support to non-state actors;
• Development aid: aid management and coordination, policy reforms, strategic planning, analysis of donors' main instruments and policies;
• Regional integration: economic integration, economic governance, regional and international trade, accession strategies and instruments, EU structural funds, cross border cooperation.

 

In these areas, the services provided by DRN include:

• Policy support and advisory services
• Identification and design of programmes and projects
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Technical assistance
• Training