Our work

Our research

Our research prioritises countries that will benefit most from our support. We then analyse pro-democracy tactics and strategies to assess their effectiveness at tackling democratic threats and enhancing democratic resilience.

Our methodology

We consider four criteria when prioritising countries: importance, which refers to a country’s influence and population size; threat, meaning the scale and extent of current or potential authoritarian actions; tractability, or the capacity of civil society within that country to resist authoritarianism and foster change; and opportunity, which includes moments of potential that could tip the balance toward democratic progress, such as upcoming events.

We focus on civil society initiatives that are likely to deliver meaningful democratic outcomes. We assess these initiatives based on both their potential impact and the strength of the supporting evidence. Our mixed-methods approach incorporates a variety of sources, including expert insights, research literature, strategic analysis, quantitative data, and other evaluative tools, to ensure that our decisions are both informed and contextually grounded.

Looking ahead, we will continue to adopt a range of approaches, recognising that progress demands adaptability.

Our evaluations

We also conduct detailed – and, where feasible, rigorous – evaluations to assess the impact of civil society initiatives on key democratic outcomes, taking into account resource limitations and realities on the ground.

Our recommendations

The result will be a selection of methodically evaluated initiatives that we recommend to donors and civil society actors seeking to support and promote liberal democracy.