Cross-cutting priorities

Six commitments that apply to every programme, whatever its thematic area.

How this works. Each programme, project, publication and story belongs to one primary thematic area. Cross-cutting priorities are tags on top of that. So a climate programme can carry the GESI tag, and "Health, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion" (a thematic area) is different from "GESI" (a commitment applied everywhere).

  • Gender Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI)

    Every programme is designed to reach women, girls and excluded groups, and to address the barriers they face.

    • Gender and inclusion analysis at design stage
    • Sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data
    • Targets for participation and leadership by women and excluded groups

  • Youth

    Young people are partners and leaders in our work, not just beneficiaries.

    • Youth voice in programme design and review
    • Pathways to skills, work and enterprise
    • Youth-led initiatives and leadership roles

  • Disability Inclusion

    We design for accessibility from the start, so people with disabilities can take part fully.

    • Accessible venues, materials and communication
    • Partnership with organisations of persons with disabilities
    • Washington Group questions in data collection

  • Climate & Environmental Sustainability

    Every programme considers climate risk and environmental impact, whatever its main focus.

    • Climate-risk screening of all programmes
    • Do-no-harm environmental safeguards
    • Low-carbon operations

  • Innovation & Digitalisation

    We use appropriate technology and new approaches where they genuinely improve results.

    • Digital tools for delivery and data
    • Testing and scaling new approaches
    • Low-bandwidth, offline-first design

  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL)

    Evidence runs through all five areas. MERL is how we know what works and keep improving. It is not a sixth thematic area.

    • Theory of change and results framework for every programme
    • Baseline, midline and endline studies
    • Learning reviews published openly