DCED Synthesis Notes and Summaries

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This page provides shortcuts to all the DCED’s thematic synthesis documents on private sector development, offering concise overviews of approaches, debates, evidence, and lessons learnt.

There are also links to short summaries of selected popular DCED publications.

Private Sector Development
Results Measurement
Digitalisation
Private Sector Engagement
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Industrial Policy
Small Enterprise Development

Inclusive Business
Employment Creation
Business Environment Reform
PSD Targeting Refugees and Fragile Contexts
Green Private Sector Development
Urbanisation and PSD

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.

Outline of the DCED Standard, 2025: 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.

PSD and Digitalisation , 2025: 7-page summary of economic development opportunities and risks of digitalisation and how different PSD approaches can be used to address them.

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.

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.
Care Work, Climate Change and Private Sector Development, 2025: 6-pager synthesising research telling us that recognising and reducing care burdens allows the delivery of better, more strategic green PSD policy and programmes.
Research & Evidence on Women’s Economic Empowerment, 2019: 5-pager on original research on WEE and effective interventions in different contexts.

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

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.

Current debates on Inclusive Business, 2021: 5-pager providing an overview of definitions, experiences and debates around the concept of Inclusive Business.
How to create an enabling environment for inclusive business, 2016: 2 pages, summarising the DCED’s extensive review of experience and evidence on the topic.

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.

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.

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.

Care Work, Climate Change and Private Sector Development, 2025: 6-pager synthesising research telling us that recognising and reducing care burdens allows the delivery of better, more strategic green PSD policy and programmes.
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.

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.

Photo credit: Maarten van den Heuvel/Unsplash

DCED Synthesis Notes and Summaries

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