A Governance-Led, Evidence-Driven Approach

IIAA works through structured, adaptive processes that connect research, institutional realities, finance, and implementation — ensuring solutions are credible, scalable, and durable.

How We Work

We recognise that development challenges are rarely technical alone. They are shaped by governance, incentives, capacity, and coordination. Our approach reflects this reality — combining analytical rigour with practical, context-sensitive engagement.

1. Diagnose the System

We begin with a structured diagnosis of the policy, institutional, financial, and stakeholder landscape. This includes governance arrangements, decision-making incentives, and existing evidence.

2. Align Stakeholders & Incentives

We facilitate engagement across public, private, and community actors to surface constraints, manage trade-offs, and build alignment around shared outcomes.

3. Adapt & Design Solutions

Drawing on global best practice and local insight, we adapt models and frameworks to fit real-world conditions — political, financial, and institutional.

4. Support Implementation Pathways

We support structured pilots and implementation pathways that prioritise learning, governance integrity, and readiness for scale or investment.

5. Generate Evidence & Learning

We embed monitoring, evaluation, and learning to ensure insights inform decision-making, adaptation, and future investment pipelines.

Our Operating Principles

African-Led & Context-Rooted

Our work is grounded in African institutional realities and led by practitioners with regional and sectoral experience.

Evidence Before Scale

We prioritise learning and evidence generation before scaling interventions or mobilising significant capital.

Governance as an Enabler

We treat governance not as a compliance exercise, but as a core enabler of sustainable impact and accountability.

Partnership Over Substitution

We work with and through existing institutions and partners, strengthening systems rather than bypassing them.